Originally published in 1992, this remarkable book challenges many of the assumptions governing the Sociology of Religion and the Sociology of Culture by arguing that Western religion is neither science nor morality - it is the promise of happiness. Learned and incisive, it will be essential reading for students of religion, culture and anyone interested in the character of Modernity.

Ferguson challenges many of the assumptions governing the sociology of religion and the sociology of culture by arguing that Western religion is neither science nor morality - it is the promise of happiness. This book will be essential reading for students of religion, culture and anyone interested in the character of modernity.

'Identity' and 'selfhood' are terms used routinely throughout the human sciences that seek to analyze and describe the character of everyday life and experience. Yet these terms are seldom defined or used with any precision, and scant regard is paid to the historical and cultural context in which they arose or to which they are applied. This innovative book provides fresh historical insights in terms of the emergence, development, and interrelationship of specific and varied notions of identity and selfhood, and outlines a new sociological framework for analyzing. This is the first...