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As the new millennium approaches, the sacred and profane interface, conflict, and intermingle in novel ways. The Encyclopedia of Religion and Society provides a guide map for these developments. From succinct, brief notes to essay-length entries, it covers world religions, religious perspectives on political and social issues, and religious leaders and scholars -- present and past -- in the United States and the world. This comprehensive volume is an essential reference for studies in the anthropology, psychology, politics, and sociology of religion. Topics include: abortion, adolescence, African-American religious experience, anthropology of religion, Buddhism, commitment, conversion, definition of religion, ecology movement, Emile Durkheim, ethnicity, fundamentalism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, new religious movements, organization, parish, Talcott Parsons, racism, research methods, Roman Catholicism, sexism, Unification Church, Max Weber, and many others.
This third edition of Sociology of Religion introduces students to key principles in the sociological understanding of religion, with revisions and updates throughout. The book offers an overview of the nature and function of religious institutions and practices, asking sociological questions about the changing role of religion in today’s “post-traditional” world. After an introduction to the many facets of religion and key theories for its study, the book examines central themes such as changes in religious life in the United States; the intersections between religion, social class, and power and between gender, sexuality, and religion; globalization and religion; religion in mass med...
Taking its inspiration from the 50th anniversary of the publication of Festinger et al.'s 1956 seminal and controversial volume When Prophecy Fails, which introduced the notion of "cognitive dissonance" as an explanation for how a small group of flying saucer devotees handled the failure of a predicted visit from space aliens, this volume looks at both theoretical and empirical studies of religious groups for whom space beings and civilizations provided an inspiration to prepare for the nearness of events that would trigger "the end of the world." Rather than examining merely the rationales adopted to account for the disappointments associated with such "failures," the core of the present volume seeks to explore the dynamics that inspire not only such beliefs but also the vigorous participation in activities in which adherents engage to prepare for the coming of (or transport to) alien civilizations from "outer space." Contributors include: Lorne L. Dawson, Arthur L. Greil, Ralph W. Hood, Jr., Benton Johnson, Salvador J. Murguia, Jon R. Stone, Bradley Whitsel, and Stuart A. Wright.
This volume consists of a collection of twelve empirical studies addressing theoretical and practical issues relating to pilgrimage and tourism activities, particularly assessing the ways in which religious expressions have changed as a result of the technological and social changes of late modernity that affect human behavior in a more general sense.
First ever collection of histories of American sociology of religion, including accounts of early dissertations changes in theory, and studies of denominations, globalization, feminism, new religions and Latino/a American religion.
Icelandic Spiritualism is an engaging social anthropological study of the place of spiritualism in Icelandic church and society during the first half of the twentieth century. Challenging standard theoretical approaches to the study of religion, the book contributes a wealth of data on the history of religion and psychical research, presenting it in a vivid descriptive narrative. The authors trace the role of the spirit world in Icelandic culture, giving particular attention to the distinctive history of Iceland's "conversion" to Christianity. They focus on the appearance of "modern" spiritualism as a distinct phenomenon in Icelandic life. The book studies the interaction between various gro...
The global high-tech economy has generated a technological and scientific productive miracle. But along with the miracle has come problems. Social Problems in Global Perspective focuses on some of these problems, including family decline, divorce and single parenting; the gender war- with men and women distrustful and threatened by one another in the workplace, the home, and the bedroom- the moral malaise created by science and religion, the media, and morality. This book presents detailed chapters on the high-tech economy, religious fundamentalism, terrorism, and ethnic conflicts. It also includes chapters on homosexuality and AIDS, the world population explosion, and pop culture.
This book addresses from a socio-scientific standpoint the interaction of religions and forms of contemporary capitalism. Contributors explore a wide range of interactions between economic systems and their socio-cultural contexts.
Provides a critical commentary on Max Weber's thesis about the relationship between ascetic Protestantism and the rise of modern capitalism and on the debate which the thesis generated. Marshall argues that Weber's thesis is best understood in the context of his intellectual environment.
"They Call Him Pastor reveals how the leadership of married men can be a resource for the healthy continuation of parish life. It focuses on twenty parishes, located in all four census regions of the United States, that are administered by married men (ten deacons and ten laymen). In each parish, the author conducted individual interviews with the deacons and the lay leaders, their wives, their children, the sacramental minister (priest), the bishops, and a representative group of parishioners. The research revealed that these parish leaders tended to practice collaborative leadership, and that their marital status was a key factor for the acceptance and cooperation of their congregations."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved