Abstract
In this article, the author tries to apply the somewhat odd notion of «political devotion» to a few Swiss cases, some of which are of a historical nature. In this way, he hopes to revive the debate on political-religious matters which has unfortunately been dried out as a result of the over-simple modern distinction bet ween Church and State. The author then wants to give a functio nal description of individual situations and the behaviour- responses they have induced. The most frequent way in which situations are interpreted while being simplified consists in the «common sense» approach of political devotion.
Finally, the development of political devotion has been «cap tured» in some of its historical forms using inductive typology: from the devotion which characterizes the small territories of pri mitive Switzerland, marked by its relationship with nature, one moves to patriotic devotion and lastly to present-day civil theolo gies.
