tutional religion which will offer a nation arrangements without inter legitimation of social fering in the application of rational principles 7th organisation of daily life (992). His appeal is echoed by Giddens who calls for the remoralization of social life' which, wfhile not explicitly referring to it, would almost inevitably include consideration of the religion could play (1991a). Their image of the role of the religion of the future is therefore one i religion's symbolic power is used to create a sense guidance and belonging within communities. This optimistic view of the future role of reli stands in sharp contrast to the view portrayed by writers such as Huntington and Hunter. For them religion is far more likely to be a source of social di sion than social harmony. Its role as an expression o culture, its symbolic power and its ability to mobilise communities make it a powerful carrier of social movements which as well as rekindling old can also generate new divisions Whether either of these possibilities is likely in Western nations is, however, questionable. The organilink between religious and other social institutions such as the political system and the family, which was so notable a feature of pre-industrial Western society, has been broken. In most Western countries, including Australia, religion has become unhinged from this social nexus. The religion of the future in many Western countries, including Australia, is likely to be pluralistic and commodified. Whether this will apply to the United States remains an open question. Equall important is the question of whether this Western pattern will be exported globally or whether some religions, such as Islam, will retain their hold on culture and institutions of some non-Western nations and communities