Religion in Western Society

This book offers a comprehensive account of religion in Western societies, focusing particularly on Western Europe and North America but taking in developments elsewhere around the globe as appropriate. Offering a guide to the principal forms of religion in the West-whether mainstream religion, sects or cults, popular superstition, or religious fundamentalism-it calls upon both empirical work and theoretical debates to examine beliefs, practices, patterns of organization, and significant trends.

Stephen J. Hunt is Senior Lecturer in Sociology at the University of West of England.

Religion in the West -- A Sociological Perspective

1

(13)

The continuing relevance of the sociology of religion

1

(6)

What is religion?

7

(2)

The problem of objectivity

9

(3)

Summary and overview

12

(2)

Secularization and the `Decline' of Religion

14

(18)

Secularization: myth or ideology?

14

(1)

Rationalism and the decline of religion

15

(3)

Religious pluralism

18

(1)

Evidence of religious decline

19

(4)

The complexities of secularization

23

(5)

Religious transformation

28

(2)

Summary

30

(2)

The Resurgence of Religion?

32

(12)

Rational--choice and consumer religion

32

(3)

Criticizing the rational--choice model

35

(1)

Post-modernity and religion

36

(4)

The resurgence of religion?

40

(2)

Summary

42

(2)

Western Religion in the Global Context

44

(15)

Globalization defined

44

(1)

Religion and economic hegemony

45

(5)

McDonaldization and glocalization

50

(5)

Easternization

55

(3)

The global consequences of fundamentalism

58

(1)

Summary

58

(1)

Religion -- Change and Stability in Western Societies

59

(17)

Consensus approaches revisited

59

(1)

Durkheim's legacy -- social integration

60

(2)

Civil religion

62

(4)

Religion and social change

66

(3)

Religion and political transformation

69

(2)

Religion and social class

71

(3)

Summary

74

(2)

Belief, Practice and Belonging

76

(20)

Religion and the stages of life

76

(3)

The life-cycle and rites of passage

79

(2)

Religion, the new voluntarism and identity

81

(3)

Conversion

84

(8)

Disengagement from religious organizations

92

(2)

Summary

94

(2)

Challenges to Western Christianity

96

(25)

Post-christianity

96

(4)

Christian Churches -- institutional decline

100

(3)

Liberalization

103

(5)

The conservative response

108

(2)

Developments within Roman Catholicism

110

(7)

The market model and the churches

117

(2)

Summary

119

(2)

Sectarianism and Fundamentalism

121

(21)

Sectarianism -- early typologies

121

(3)

Sect transformation

124

(3)

Sectarianism -- variations on a theme

127

(3)

Sects and deprivation

130

(2)

Sectarian organizations

132

(2)

Fundamentalism defined

134

(1)

The New Christian Right and political activism

135

(5)

Summary

140

(2)

Cults and the New Religiosity

142

(20)

Cults

142

(1)

Cult typologies

143

(3)

New religious movements

146

(1)

Categorization of new religious movements

147

(3)

Explaining the rise of new religious movements

150

(3)

Recent developments in new religious movements

153

(2)

The New Age movement

155

(6)

Summary

161

(1)

The New Religions -- Issues and Controversies

162

(16)

Who joins the new religions?

162

(2)

Women and the new religions

164

(4)

Accounting for success

168

(2)

Dangerous cults

170

(1)

Cult controversies

171

(2)

Cults and religious liberty

173

(2)

Societal reaction to new religious movements

175

(1)

Summary

176

(2)

The Religions of Ethnic Minorities in the West

178

(16)

Perceptions of ethnic religions

178

(3)

Religion and ethnic communities

181

(4)

Assimilation or pluralism?

185

(2)

Aspects of adaptation and cultural resistance

187

(5)

Summary

192

(2)

Popular Forms of Religiosity

194

(15)

`Fringe' religions

194

(1)

Occultist practices

195

(4)

Quasi-religion -- problems of definition

199

(3)

The function of quasi-religions

202

(4)

The rise of quasi-religions

206

(1)

Summary

207

(2)

Conclusion -- The Future of Religion in the West

209

(7)

Bibliography

216

(16)

Index

232

What is included with this book?

The New copy of this book will include any supplemental materials advertised. Please check the title of the book to determine if it should include any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

The Used, Rental and eBook copies of this book are not guaranteed to include any supplemental materials. Typically, only the book itself is included. This is true even if the title states it includes any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

FREE SHIPPING

Amazon no longer offers textbook rentals. We do!

Religion in Western Society

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials