ABSTRACT

A reader that seeks to explore the relationship between the structure and culture of religion and various elements of social life in the U.S., Sociology of Religion: A Reader, 2e is ideal as either a standalone reader or supplement to the text written by the same author team, Why Religion Matters. Based on both classic and contemporary research in the sociology of religion, this reader highlights a variety of research methods and theoretical approaches. 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.

chapter 2|6 pages

The Sacred Canopy

chapter 12|5 pages

Gendering Secularization Theory

chapter 18|19 pages

Poor Teenagers’ Religion

chapter 24|9 pages

Secularization and Its Discontents

chapter 25|12 pages

An Unsecular America

chapter 28|3 pages

Selections from Sociological Writings

chapter 32|6 pages

Apocalypse at Waco

chapter 40|10 pages

Contrasting Secular and Religious Terrorism

chapter 41|9 pages

Is Religion the Problem?

chapter 42|6 pages

Is Religious Violence Inevitable?

chapter 43|6 pages

Religion,Violence, and Peacemaking

chapter 46|15 pages

Transnational Religious Connections