ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces some perspectives on religion found in contemporary sociology and cultural analysis. It looks at general theories regarding individual and society, and presents the theorist's view on religion, followed by critique. Erving Goffman is one of the most widely read interpretative sociologists. Goffman began to study the natural sciences and was involved in Canadian documentary film making before he turned to sociology. As many micro-oriented sociologists, Goffman has been criticized for directing little attention to the structures of society, such as the effects of social class on micro-relations. Goffman's description of total institutions inspires analyses of closed religious communities, including internal opposition in such communities. According to Bauman, modernity and bureaucracy do not necessarily lead to devastation and horror.
