Sociology of Religion: Contemporary Developments

by Christiano, Kevin J.; Swatos, William H., Jr.; Kivisto, Peter

• ISBN13: 9780759100350
• ISBN10: 0759100357
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-12-01
• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Pub Inc

Summary

Sociology of Religion: Contemporary Developments charts changes in the sociology of religion without ignoring the continuing relevance of Weber, Durkheim, and Marx. Veteran sociologists Christiano, Swatos, and Kivisto address both the foundations and the profound changes in the field, placing new conceptions against their historical background. Charts, pictures, down-to-earth examples, and a readable style keep the history and new developments within the reach of undergraduates. Instructors who want to give their students a current and comprehensive overview of the field should take a look at Sociology of Religion: Contemporary Developments. Visit our website for sample chapters!

Table of Contents

About Ourselves	xi
About the Book	xiii
PART ONE: THE BASICS
By Way of Introduction	3	(26)
Background	3	(1)
The Definition Problem	4	(8)
Exploring the Dimensions of Religion	12	(5)
Social Relationships	12	(3)
Ethical Considerations	15	(2)
A Definitional Revision	17	(2)
The Plan of the Book	19	(6)
Suggestions for Further Reading	25	(4)
Studying Religion	29	(30)
How Do We Study Religion?	29	(8)
Survey Research	31	(3)
Participant Observation	34	(2)
Historical Research	36	(1)
Theory in the Study of Religion	37	(11)
Functionalist Theories	38	(1)
Conflict Theories	39	(2)
A Paradigm Shift	41	(1)
Rational Choice Theories	42	(6)
Sociologie Religieuse	48	(2)
Why Study Religion?	50	(4)
Implicit Religion	54	(3)
Suggestions for Further Reading	57	(2)
The ``Religion'' of Secularization and the History of Religions	59	(32)
Background	59	(5)
The Arguments	64	(3)
The Critique	67	(2)
The ``Religion'' of Secularization	69	(8)
Civil Religion	69	(4)
Invisible Religion	73	(4)
The Myth of the Age of Faith	77	(2)
Pluralism	79	(9)
Suggestions for Further Reading	88	(3)
Religion in the United States: Denominationalism and Beyond	91	(32)
Background: Churches and Sects	92	(7)
Weber's Sociology and Troeltsch's Ethics	94	(2)
Elaboration, Reaction, and Revision	96	(1)
Neo-Weberian Analyses	97	(2)
Denominationalism	99	(6)
Typology	99	(3)
Denominations Today	102	(3)
Congregationalism	105	(4)
American Religious Renewal	109	(3)
Mainlines and Sidelines in Religion in the United States	112	(6)
Suggestions for Further Reading	118	(5)
PART TWO: RELIGION AND SOCIAL DIFFERENTIATION
Social Class, Religion, and Power: A Classic Field of Inquiry	123	(30)
Sociological Classics	123	(10)
Marx: The Permanent Exile and Prophet	124	(4)
Weber: Theodicy, Religious Ethics, and Social Class	128	(5)
Religion and the U.S. Class Structure	133	(18)
U.S. Classes and Religion in the Industrial Age: 1870-1970	135	(9)
The Class/Religion Nexus in a Post-Industrial Society	144	(7)
Suggestions for Further Reading	151	(2)
Religion and Ethnicity: A Complex Relationship	153	(32)
Clarifying Terms: Ethnic, Nationality, and Racial Groups	154	(5)
Defining Ethnic Groups	154	(1)
Nationality Groups and Territoriality	155	(2)
The Specter of Race	157	(2)
Relational Patterns between Religion and Ethnicity	159	(2)
Ethnicity in the ``Righteous Empire''	161	(2)
The Ethnic Factor in the Formative Period of U.S. Catholicism	163	(2)
The Jewish Diaspora	165	(2)
Herberg's Thesis and the Triple Melting Pot	167	(3)
The African American Religious Experience	170	(4)
From Different Shores: The New Immigrants	174	(2)
New Ethnics As Protestants, Catholics, and Jews	176	(1)
Beyond Protestant, Catholic, Jew	177	(4)
Suggestions for Further Reading	181	(4)
Gender, Sexuality, and Religion: Spirituality in Different Voices?	185	(28)
The Ordination Debate	187	(5)
Women in Clerical and Lay Roles	192	(4)
The Culture Wars: Gender, Religion, and Family Values	196	(10)
Abortion and the Politics of the Body	197	(2)
Family Matters	199	(5)
Gays, Lesbians, and Religion	204	(2)
Images of God and Gendered Spirituality	206	(3)
Suggestions for Further Reading	209	(4)
PART THREE: RELIGION, CULTURE, AND CHANGE
Religious Change: The Case of Catholicism in the United States	213	(26)
Church with a Capital C	213	(1)
Change: From Breeze to Tornado	214	(1)
Commitment: Loyalty, but Not Obedience	215	(1)
Devotion: A Collapse of Authority	216	(2)
Governance: Guiding the People of God	218	(1)
Membership: Problems in the Pews	219	(7)
African American Catholics	219	(3)
Hispanic Catholics	222	(1)
Women in the Church	223	(3)
Personnel: People without Priests	226	(6)
Finances: Expanding Mission, Declining Resources	232	(3)
Suggestions for Further Reading	235	(4)
Fundamentalism and Evangelicalism: Old-Time Religion?	239	(34)
Evangelicals and Fundamentalists: Alike and Different	240	(10)
The Globalization Dynamic	247	(3)
Global Culture	250	(4)
Excursus on the History of Religions	254	(1)
Globalization and Fundamentalisms	255	(14)
The Religious Right in the United States	256	(3)
Islamization	259	(6)
Ultraorthodoxy	265	(4)
Suggestions for Further Reading	269	(4)
Mediating Meaning: Religion in---and As---Contemporary Culture	273	(24)
Mass Faith: The Media of Religion	275	(1)
Religion in Material Culture: Faith in the Flesh	275	(4)
Religious Publishing: Words and The Word	279	(4)
``That Old-Time Religion'': Broadcast Evangelism in the United States	283	(6)
``In the Beginning...''	283	(1)
The Message: ``His Master's Voice''?	284	(1)
The Messengers: The Return of Elmer Gantry?	285	(2)
The Audience: Preaching to the Converted?	287	(2)
CyberFaith: Religion on the Internet	289	(4)
Suggestions for Further Reading	293	(4)
Boundary Issues: Church, State, and New Religions	297	(30)
Religious Novelty	299	(3)
Cult and Anticult: Social Science and Social Movements	302	(3)
Asceticism and Mysticism	305	(3)
The Attraction of the Margin	308	(3)
Illustrations of NRM Dynamics	311	(14)
Unificationism	312	(6)
``Satanism'' and Anti-Satanism	318	(7)
Suggestions for Further Reading	325	(2)
References	327	(32)
Index	359