Religion and the Sociology of Knowledge. Modernization and Pluralism in Christian Thought and Structure

Author: 
Year:
Pages:402
ISBN:0-88946-872-9
978-0-88946-872-6
Price:$259.95 + shipping
(Click the PayPal button to buy)
Seventeen essays presented at a seminar on the sociology of knowledge and religion at Iliff School of Theology, the central theme of which is that one's particular place in society shapes the ways in which one thinks, learns, and responds, to religion as to other factors in life.

Reviews

"[T]his fine collection . . . includes two classic essays in the field: Scheler on the sociology of religion and Weber on the routinization of charisma . . . . The book's contribution can be found in its ability to treat varied topics within one overarching perspective. . . . It is highly recommended for library acquisition for use in academic and applied programs using social science to understand contemporary religious forms and institutions." - Religious Studies Review

". . . a veritable smorgasbord of essays from scholars in the fields of sociology, theology, biblical studies, American religion and culture, and psychology and counseling. . . . Because of the diversity of applications, this book provides a broad and stimulating introduction to concepts, tools, and issues within the sociology of knowledge." - Contemporary Sociology

". . . important reading for any sociologist interested in how basic concepts in the sociology of knowledge are being appropriated and utilized among those with a primarily theological and pastoral orientation. . . . [poses] many important questions surrounding the application of the sociology of knowledge to religious studies." - Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion

"Of particular value to the reader are essays by Elizabeth Schmidt, suggesting that perceptions of the divine are conditioned by an individual's social context . . . and by Kerry Edwards, on the decline of `detente' between sociologists and theologians.

Other Sociology Books