Religion: The Social Context

By Meredith B. McGuire

Book Overview

McGuire provides students with an integrated overview of the subject and a useful basis for critical evaluation. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0534505724
• ISBN13: 9780534505721
• Release Date: November 1996
• Publisher: Wadsworth Publishing Company
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.3" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Courteous and Stimulating

Although I have obtained a Masters of Divinity and a Bachelors of Religious Studies, this is sadly the first book I've ever read on the sociology of religion, so I have no way of comparing it to other intro-level books on the same subject. All I can say is this: McGuire's book was a surprisingly stimulating read for me. She attempts to be friendly to those who hold strong religious convictions by claiming that a sociological perspective does not always necessarily contradict religious convictions. When I get time, I will come back later and write a more thorough review of the book to suggest how this tension plays out in the book.

Aspects of Sociology of Religion

Contents Include: 1 - SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE ON RELIGION * Religious Contours of a Community * The Nature of the Sociological Perspective * Defining Religion * Aspects of Religion * The Development of the Sociology of Religion 2 - THE PROVISION OF MEANING AND BELONGING * Religion and Systems of Meaning * Crisis of Meaning * Community and Religious Belonging * Extended Application: Millenarianism and Dualism in Contemporary Social Movements 3 - THE INDIVIDUAL'S RELIGION * Shaping the Individual's Religion * Conversions * Commitment * Disengagement 4 - OFFICIAL AND NONOFFICIAL RELIGION * The Official Model of Religion * Structural Shifts in Official Religion * Individual Religiosity in the Official Model * Researching Official Religion and Religiosity * Nonofficial Religion and Religiosity * Historical Perspectives: The Social Construction of 'Religion' * Popular Religion in Modern Societies * Individual Religiosity in the Nonofficial mode * Researching Nonofficial Religion and Religiosity * Extended Application: Women's Religion and Gender Roles 5 - THE DYNAMICS OF RELIGIOUS COLLECTIVITIES * Religious Groups in Relation to their Social Environment * Religious Orientation * How Religious Collectivities Develop and Change * Extended Application: Emerging Religious Movements 6 - RELIGION, SOCIAL COHESION, AND CONFLICT * Religion and Social Cohesion (Durkheim, Nationalism) * Religion and Social Conflict * Extended Application: The Conflict in Northern Ireland 7 - THE IMPACT OF RELIGION ON SOCIAL CHANGE * Factors in Social Change * Religion Supports the Status Quo * Religion Promotes Social Change * Factors Shaping Interrelationship of Religion and Social Change * Extended Application: African-American Religious Expressions 8 - RELIGION IN THE MODERN WORLD * Four Narratives in the Sociology of Religion * Interpreting Modern Societies * Religion, Power, and Order in the Modern World * The Sociology of Religion in the Modern World