1st Edition
Modern Sociologists on Society and Religion
Modern Sociologists on Society and Religion provides an introduction to some of the most influential figures in contemporary social theory with an emphasis on their analyses of society and religion. The figures profiled include Erving Goffman, Zygmunt Bauman, Michel Foucault, Peter L. Berger, Thomas Luckmann, Jürgen Habermas, Pierre Bourdieu, Anthony Giddens, Arlie Hochschild, Richard Sennett, and Patricia Hill Collins.
The introduction places these sociologists in contemporary social discourse. Each chapter begins with an introduction to the main work and social analyses of the sociologist in question. After a brief critical assessment, it outlines their view on religion, followed by examples of how other sociologists have used their theories to study religion. Each chapter ends with the authors’ suggestions for how their perspectives can be used to analyze the role of religion in contemporary society.
The book provides a general introduction and overview of social analyses in modern sociology. It is a rich resource for scholars and students on all levels who are interested in social theory and the complexity of religion in contemporary society.
- Erving Goffman: between manipulation and deference
- Zygmunt Bauman: religion as a safe harbor in a liquid world
- Michel Foucault: discourse, power, and governmentality
- Jürgen Habermas: post-secular society
- Peter L. Berger and Thomas Luckmann: social reality as construction
- Pierre Bourdieu: social practice, capital, and power
- Anthony Giddens: from sociological syntheses to political advice
- Arlie Hochschild: emotion, gender, and commercialization
- Richard Sennett: cities, intimacy, craftsmanship, and capitalism
- Patricia Hill Collins: intersectional analysis
Biography
Inger Furseth is Professor in Sociology at the University of Oslo, Norway.
Pål Repstad is Professor Emeritus in Sociology of Religion at the University of Agder, Norway.
