ABSTRACT

In adopting an international perspective that goes beyond the conventional framework of western theology, this volume bridges the divide between European and North American scholars through its careful retrieval of their common theoretical and research interests. Cipriani provides a critical analysis of both classical thought and contemporary currents in this readable text, aimed at both experts and students. He has achieved a broadening in the scientific approach to the study of religion.

chapter |9 pages

The Sociological Definition of Religion

part I|52 pages

The Origins

chapter 1|14 pages

The Historical-Philosophical Background

chapter 3|4 pages

Tocqueville (1805–1859)

Religion and Democracy

chapter 4|5 pages

Bergson (1859–1941)

Religion and “Élan Vital”

chapter 5|20 pages

The Contribution of Anthropology

part II|46 pages

The Classics

chapter 1|10 pages

Durkheim's (1858–1917) Religious Forms

chapter 2|12 pages

Weber's (1864–1920) Universal Religions

chapter 4|9 pages

Freud (1856–1939)

The Psychic Dimension of Religion

part III|56 pages

The Contemporaries

chapter 1|6 pages

Religion as Universal

chapter 2|6 pages

The Macrosociological Approach

chapter 3|15 pages

The Historical-Cultural Dynamics

chapter 4|4 pages

The Frankfurt School and Religion

chapter 5|10 pages

The New European Perspectives

chapter 6|12 pages

The Socioanthropological Perspectives

part IV|70 pages

Recent Developments

chapter 1|11 pages

Secularization

chapter 2|6 pages

Religious Pluralism

chapter 3|5 pages

Civil Religion in Robert Bellah (1927–)

chapter 4|16 pages

North American Trends

chapter 5|17 pages

The European Trends

chapter 7|4 pages

The New Religious Movements