Religion and The Transformation of Capitalism: Comparative Approaches

Religion and the Transformations of Capitalismaddresses from a sociological standpoint the interaction of religions and forms of contemporary capitalism. The book is divided into three parts: Part One offers a series of readings of the "classics" re-interpreted in the light of contemporary scholarship of the type Weber himself conducted; Part Two contains three rather different discussions of the connection between resurgent capitalism and new religious movements in developed societies; Part Three deals with aspects of "globalization" and "post-modernity" and their inter-relation with religious transformations. Discussions of the global socio-cultural and economic matrix and its religious dimensions has grown in importance since the collapse of Marxist socialism and the resurgence of religious, national and ethnic identities. The collection draws upon the research and experience of scholars whose first hand acquaintance with diverse yet representative settings allosw the readerto explore a wide range of interactions between economic systems and their socio-cultural contexts. This outstanding collection will be an invaluable resource for students of Religious studies, comparative religions and sociological theory. Contributors:Peter Beyer; Alan Black; Simon Coleman; David Bromley; Anne Eyre; David Gellner; James Grayson; Rosalind Hackett; Nikos Koksalakis; Helmut Loiskandl; David Martin; Paul Morris; Julian Pas; William Swatos Jr.; Ivan Varga.