ABSTRACT
A major part of the sociological debate centers on how we should characterize fundamental features of contemporary society. For empirically oriented sociologists, these debates may become too grand and reach too far afield. Many sociologists remain skeptical as to whether it is feasible to capture “the spirit of the time” by using terms such as modernity or postmodernity. In trying to capture an entire era with one all-encompassing concept, we have no choice but to gloss over vast differences between and within societies. This chapter will give an outline of the debates on modernity, postmodernity, and the relationship between these two concepts. We will also briefly discuss globalization. These debates are not limited to the sociology of religion, but are present in general sociology, history, and a number of other academic ¿elds. A more speci¿c element in the sociology of religion is the debate on secularization. We will present some principal features of secularization theories, that is, theories propounding that religion has diminished in importance. Towards the end, the critique of such theories is addressed.
