Sociology of Religion is a collection that seeks to explore the relationship between the structure and culture of religion and various elements of social life in the United States. This reader is an ideal standalone course text and can also serve as supplement to the text written by the same author team, Religion Matters (Routledge, 2010). Based on both classic and contemporary research in the sociology of religion, this new, third edition highlights a variety of research methods and theoretical approaches to studying the sociological elements of religion. It explores the ways in which religious values, beliefs and practices shape the world outside of church, synagogue, or mosque walls while simultaneously being shaped by the non-religious forces operating in that world.
William A. Mirola is Professor of Sociology and Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Marian University in Indianapolis, IN. His teaching and research interests focus on the sociology of religion, social class, and social movements and change. In addition to a range of articles and reviews, he has co-edited and authored two books, Religion and Class in America: Culture, History, and Politics (Brill Publishers) and Redeeming Time: Protestantism and Chicago’s Eight-Hour Movement, 1866–1912 (University of Illinois Press).
Michael O. Emerson is Provost and Professor of Sociology at North Park University in Chicago, and Faculty Affiliate at the Center for Religion and Society at the University of Notre Dame. In addition to many articles on the topic of religion, he is the author of several books, including Divided by Faith: Evangelical Religion and the Problem of Race in America (Oxford University Press) and People of the Dream: Multiracial Congregations in the United States (Princeton University Press).
Susanne C. Monahan is Professor of Sociology and Associate Provost for Program Development at Western Oregon University. She received a Ph.D. and A.M. in Sociology from Stanford University, and a B.A. in Sociology/Anthropology and Economics from Swarthmore College. Her research focuses on complex organizations, including work on American congregations and clergy. She has published articles and reviews in the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, Review of Religious Research, Sociology of Religion, Theoretical Criminology, Justice Quarterly, Journal of the American Academy of Religion, and Child Development.
