The New Blackwell Companion to the Sociology of Religion - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1405188529 ISBN 13: 9781405188524

Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell, 2010

Synopsis

Reflecting the very latest developments in the field, the New Companion provides a comprehensive introduction to the sociology of religion with a clear emphasis on comparative and historical approaches.

• Covers major debates in secularization theory, rational choice theory, feminism and the body
• Takes a multidisciplinary approach, covering history, sociology, anthropology, and religious studies
• International in its scope, covering American exceptionalism, Native American spirituality, and China, Europe, and Southeast Asia
• Offers discussions on the latest developments, including "megachurches", spirituality, post-secular society and globalization

About this title

From the Back Cover:

Reflecting the very latest developments in the field, this companion provides a comprehensive introduction to the sociology of religion with a clear emphasis on comparative and historical approaches. Covering all the areas relevant to undergraduate courses in this area, the companion begins by laying down the anthropological and sociological foundations of the study of religion and their contemporary developments. It continues with an analysis of both traditional and contemporary forms of organization, such as church--sect typologies as well as “megachurches” and modern forms of spirituality. The secularization and post-secular society debates are considered in depth along with the globalization process, fundamentalism, charismatic movements, and revivalism. It also discusses the sociology of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and religions of China, as well as the areas of American exceptionalism from de Tocqueville onwards, religious nationalism, women and piety movements, and the spirituality of Native American communities.

Considering new developments in social theory and religion, the collection concludes with a discussion of recent work that attempts to understand the future of religion, blending the sociology of modern societies, anthropological ethnography, and philosophical inquiry.

About the Author:

Bryan S. Turner is the Presidential Professor of Sociology at the City University of New York Graduate School and Director of the Committee on Religion and Director of the Centre for the Study of Contemporary Muslim Societies at the University of Western Sydney, Australia. He was Professor of Sociology at the University of Cambridge and subsequently Professor of Sociology in the Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore. Professor Turner was an Alexander von Humboldt Fellow at Bielefeld University, Germany, a Fellow of Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge University, the Alona Evans Distinguished Visiting Professor at Wellesley College, and a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Social Sciences. He recently published The Body and Society, third edition (2008), and edited The New Blackwell Companion to Social Theory (2009).

About this edition

• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 1405188529
• ISBN 13: 9781405188524
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 712
• Editor: Turner Bryan S.