The return of religion: Globalisation, belief and the public sphere

In Europe, modernity is often associated with secularism. Yet, over time we are seeing that religious affiliation is actually increasing in places as diverse as South Korea, China, the African continent, Latin America and the Muslim world. Far from being the norm, European secularization seems more and more like an exception in the world. Could it be that globalization is doing more to foment religious belief than question it? Do increasing economic interdependence between countries and the free exchange of ideas facilitated by new technologies extend skepticism towards religious orthodoxies? Or do they strengthen connections between those who already share beliefs?