Religion in Western Society

ISBN-13: 9780333945926 / Angielski / Miękka / 2002 / 235 str.

S Hunt

Opis

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.

Spis treści

Religion in the West: A Sociological Perspective.- Secularisation and the 'Decline' of Religion.- The Resurgence of Religion?.- Western Religion in the Global Context.- Religion: Change and Stability in Western Societies.- Belief, Practice and Belonging.- Challenges to Western Christianity.- Sectarianism and Fundamentalism.- Cults and the New Religiosity.- The New Religions: Issues and Controversies.- The Religions of Ethnic Minorities in the West.- Popular Forms of Religiosity.- Conclusion.

O autorze

STEPHEN HUNT is Senior Lecturer in Sociology at the University of West of England. He has written widely on contemporary Christianity and new religious movements.

Blurb

This book offers a comprehensive account of the nature and expression of contemporary forms of religion in Western societies. Drawing both on recent original work and classical and contemporary conceptual frameworks, it examines the beliefs, practices, patterns of organisation and significant trends in both mainstream and fringe religions including cults and quasi-religions. Competing arguments and theories about key developments are treated fully and fairly and there is a clear sense throughout of the social context. The approach is broadly sociological and the well-paced, jargon-free writing style and clearly sectioned chapters make this an ideal text for teaching and study purposes, both in sociology and religious studies. Amongst the themes and concerns covered are:

* what we mean in the first place by religion
* secularisation and new expressions of religiosity
* the effect of religion on society and the relationship between religion and social change
* the links between belief, belonging and social identity
* contemporary Christianity and the religions of ethnic minorities in the West
* globalisation, religious pluralism and postmodernity

STEPHEN J. HUNT is Senior Lecturer in Sociology at the University of West of England, Bristol. He has written widely on contemporary Christianity and new religious movements.