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An Introduction to the Sociology of Religion provides an overview of sociological theories of contemporary religious life. Some chapters are organized according to topic. Others offer brief presentations of classical and contemporary sociologists from Karl Marx to Zygmunt Bauman and their perspectives on social life, including religion. Throughout the book, illustrations and examples are taken from several religious traditions.
Is it true that religion is weakening in modern times, or are we facing religious resurgence? What is fundamentalism? How does it emerge and grow? What role does religion play in ethnic and national conflicts? Is religion a fundamental driving force or do political leaders use religion for their own purposes? Do all religions oppress women? These are some of the questions addressed in this book. An Introduction to the Sociology of Religion provides an overview of sociological theories of contemporary religious life. Some chapters are organized according to topic. Others offer brief presentations of classical and contemporary sociologists from Karl Marx to Zygmunt Bauman and their perspectives on social life, including religion. Throughout the book, illustrations and examples are taken from several religious traditions.
With examples from real theses, useful action plans in each chapter and a range of practical tips that are often missed in other books, this is a step-by-step guide to help you excel in your Master's dissertation.
This book is an empirical comparative study of the complexity of religion in the public spheres of the five Nordic countries. The result of a five-year collaborative research project, the work examines how increasingly religiously diverse Nordic societies regulate, debate, and negotiate religion in the state, the polity, the media, and civil society. The project finds that there are seemingly contradictory religious trends at different social levels: a growing secularization at the individual level, and a deprivatization of religion in politics, the media, and civil society. It offers a critique of the current theories of secularization and the return of religion, introducing religious complexity as an alternative concept to understand these paradoxes. This book is for scholars, students, and readers with an interest in understanding the public role of religion in the West.
Modern Sociologists on Society and Religion provides an introduction to some of the most influential figures in contemporary social theory with an emphasis on their analyses of society and religion. The figures profiled include Erving Goffman, Zygmunt Bauman, Michel Foucault, Peter L. Berger, Thomas Luckmann, Jürgen Habermas, Pierre Bourdieu, Anthony Giddens, Arlie Hochschild, Richard Sennett, and Patricia Hill Collins. The introduction places these sociologists in contemporary social discourse. Each chapter begins with an introduction to the main work and social analyses of the sociologist in question. After a brief critical assessment, it outlines their view on religion, followed by examples of how other sociologists have used their theories to study religion. Each chapter ends with the authors’ suggestions for how their perspectives can be used to analyze the role of religion in contemporary society. The book provides a general introduction and overview of social analyses in modern sociology. It is a rich resource for scholars and students on all levels who are interested in social theory and the complexity of religion in contemporary society.
Shaped by five hundred years of Lutheran impact and with a strong influence of big majority churches, Scandinavian secularity is a very interesting and fruitful material for the historical and contemporary theoretical debate on the secular. It can be discussed, for example, whether the strong position of Human Rights and of the Scandinavian welfare state might be interpreted in continuity with the historical influence of Protestant traditions. Is there something like a hidden sacrality implicit in the Scandinavian secular?
This study includes three social movements: the Lofthus revolt, the Thrane movement, and the early labor movement; and two religious movements: the Hauge movement and Norwegian Methodism. The analysis examines how they mobilized resources to reach their goals, the external and internal factors that influenced their degrees of success and failure, and the interactions and exchanges between them. It uses a combination of resource mobilization theory and political process theory for analysis.
AlSayyad and Massoumi's text addresses the ways in which religion can affect the city, and indeed how the city can affect religion. International experts in sociology, anthropology, religious studies, urban planning and geography come together to provide thought provoking pieces on whether a fundamentalist city is possible.
Due to growing negative perceptions about relations between historically entrenched, dominant populations and various minority groups, issues relating to the need to better manage cultural and religious diversity have been intensifying in many countries. These negative perceptions have recently led to a significant increase in popular support for right and extreme right nationalist discourses, and have created so much public tension that national governments have had no choice but to respond. In the last two decades, in several Western contexts in particular, the issues raised by such combined challenges have culminated in the creation of government-initiated or private national commissions....
As the title suggests, Political Religion, Everyday Religion: Sociological Trends reflects upon two important trends that have recently emerged in the sociology of religion. Firstly, there is an increasing interest in the interplay between religion and politics. Religion has moved from being almost ignored by sociologists to being acknowledged – some would even say overrated – as an important political factor. Secondly, ordinary people’s everyday religion has likewise become an important topic for many researchers. In this book, James Beckford, Inger Furseth and other prominent scholars present critical discussions and empirical studies of both political and everyday religion, and the editor, Pål Repstad, shows how these two trends should enter into a closer dialogue. The book is essential for both students and experienced researchers in the sociology of religion. Contributors are: James A. Beckford, Inger Furseth, Kristina Grundetjern, Jan-Olav Henriksen, Ida Marie Høeg, Nils Martinius Justvik, Bjarte Leer-Helgesen, Paul Leer-Salvesen, Anne Løvland, Tomas Rasmussen, Pål Repstad, Tale Steen-Johnsen, and Irene Trysnes