Sociology of Religion for Generations X and Y

ISBN-13: 9781845533038 / Angielski / Twarda / 2009 / 256 str.

Adam Possamai

Opis

Generations X and Y are plugged into the contemporary world of consumption, popular culture, and the internet. These generations treat knowledge and belief as a more flexible concept, often focusing on the practical rather than the theoretical and often drawing on conflicting sources in both popular and cyber culture. Their approach to religious belief and practice requires a new way of studying the sociology of religion. 'Sociology of Religion for Generations X and Y' examines key world religions - Buddhism, Christianity and Islam - as well as newer religious groups, such as Scientology, New Age, Witchcraft and online communities such as Jediism and Matrixism. The book covers a range of key concepts: secularisation and modernisation, re-enchantment, the 'McDonaldisation' of society, and the easternisation of the west. Each chapter opens with a case study from popular culture or the internet which takes the reader to the heart of the topic being discussed. Employing both classical sociological theory and contemporary critical theory, 'Sociology of Religion for Generations X and Y' explains where contemporary religion and spirituality are coming from, where they are now, and where they are going.

Spis treści

INTRODUCTION: Xers AND Yers AS COHORTS OF THE POST 1970'S GENERATIONChapter 1: RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY AND THE POLITICS OF DEFINITIONChapter 2: RELIGION AND POPULAR CULTUREChapter 3: RELIGION AND MODERNITY: MARX, DURKHEIM AND WEBERChapter 4: RELIGION, SPIRITUALITY & THE POST-SECULARISATION APPROACHChapter 5: RELIGION & POSTMODERNITY (PART A): CONSUMER RELIGIONSChapter 6: RELIGION & POSTMODERNITY (PART B): HYPER-REALITY AND THE INTERNETChapter 7: ESOTERICISM, ITS MCDONALDISATION AND ITS RE-ENCHANTMENT PROCESSChapter 8: MONOTHEISTIC FUNDAMENTALISM(S) AS AN OUTCOME OF CONSUMER CULTUREChapter 9: BUDDHISM, ITS WESTERNISATION AND THE EASTERNISATION OF THE WESTChapter 10: CHRISTIANITY: CHURCHES AND SECTS IN A POSTCHRISTIAN WORLDChapter 11: THE MULTIPLE-MODERNITIES OF ISLAM?Chapter 12: NEW RELIGIOUS MOVEMENTS AND THE DEATH OF THE NEW AGEChapter 13: WITCHCRAFT, THE INTERNET AND CONSUMERISMConclusion: WHAT DO SOCIOLOGISTS OF RELIGION IN ACADEMIA DO APART FROM TEACHING AND MARKING? THEIR WORK AS INTELLECTUALS

O autorze

Adam Possamai is Associate Professor in Sociology at the University of Western Sydney. He is the author ofReligion and Popular Culture: A Hyper-Real TestamentandIn Search of New Age Spiritualities.