Religion in Sociological Perspective

Keith A. Roberts (1947-2018) was Professor Emeritus of Sociology at Hanover College in Indiana. In 2000, he received the Hans O. Mauksch Award for Distinguished Contributions to Undergraduate Sociology from the ASA Section on Teaching and Learning, and in 2010, his work in the scholarship of teaching and learning was recognized with the American Sociological Association’s Distinguished Contributions to Teaching Award. David Yamane is Professor of Sociology at Wake Forest University. He is author, co-author, or editor of six books in the sociology of religion and is former editor of the journal Sociology of Religion. In 2007, he was chosen by Wake Forest students to receive the Kulynych Family Omicron Delta Kappa Award for Contribution to Student Life.

Preface
About the Authors
PART I. INTRODUCTION TO THE SOCIOLOGY OF RELIGION
1. What Do We Mean by the Term Religion?
Substantive Definitions
Fucntional Definitions
A Symbolic Definition
Distinction Between Religion and Magic
Invisible Religion
Spiritual but Not Religious?
The Concept of Religion as Employed in This Text
A Final Word About Defintions
Summary
2. A Social Scientific Approach to Studying Religion
The Sociological Perspective
Sociological Methods of Studying Religions
Summary
PART II. THE COMPLEXITY OF RELIGIOUS SYSTEMS: INTEGRATION AND CONFLICT
3. Religion in the Larger Society: Macro Perspectives
Funcitonal Theory and the Functions of Religion
Conflict Theory and Religious Conflict
Toward Synthesis: An Open Systems Model
Summary
4. The Cultural Construction of Religion: Experience, Myth, Ritual, Symbols, and Worldview
The Social Construction of Reality
The Experimental Dimension of Religion
Myth and Ritual
The Importance of Symbols
Worldview, Ethos, and Symbols
Summary
PART III. RELIGION IN THE LIVES OF INDIVIDUALS
5. Becoming and Being Religious
Religious Socialization and the Intergenerational Transmissio of Religion
Religion Over the Life Course
Age, Cohort, and Generational Effects on Religion
A Multidimensional Model of Commitment
Religion and Identity
Religious "Nones"
Summary
6. Conversion and Switching
Conversion, Brainwashing, and the New Religious Movements
Process Models of Conversion
Religious Choices and Commitments: A Rational Choice Model
Religious "Switching"
Apostasy
Summary
PART IV. FORMATION AND MAINTENANCE OF RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS
7. Organized Religion: Churches, Sects, Denominations, and "Cults"
Charisma and the Charismatic Leader
The Routinization of Charisma
Dilemmas of Institutionalization
Classifying Religious Organizations
The Church-Sect Typology
Social Conditions That Generate Each Type of Group
New Religious Movements, aka "Cults"
Summary
8. Organized Religion: Denominationalism and Congregationalism
The Denominational Society
Beyond Denominations?
Denominations and De Facto Congregationalism
Congregational Demography
What Do Congregations Do?
Megachurches
Multi-Site Churches
"New Paradigm" and "Seeker" Churches: Congregations With a Marketing Strategy
Summary
PART V. RELIGION AND SOCIAL INEQUALITY
9. Religion, Economics, and Social Class
Religious Ethics and Economic Action
Social Class and Religious Involvement: Interactive Processes
Summary
10. Religion and Race
Race, Ethnicity, and Religious Identification
Racial Segregation in Congregations
Explaining Congregational Racial Segregation
Religion, Racial Prejudice, and Racism as a Worldview
Racism as a Worldview
Sources of Racism in Christianity
Social Conflict and Religious Expression: The Conflict Perspective
Summary
11. Religion, Gender, and Sexuality
Gender and Religious Involvement
Sexism in the Religious Meaning and Belonging Systems
Religion and Institutional Sexism
Religion, Individual Gender Role Attitudes, and the Social Construction of Difference
Religion and Sexuality
Summary
12. Religion, Inequality, and Social Activisim
Theology as Social Idealogy
Religion and Minority Status
Religion in the African American Community
Summary
PART VI. SOCIAL CHANGE AND RELIGIOUS ADAPTATION
13. Secularization: Religion in Decline or in Transformation?
Traditional Models of Secularization
The "New" Paradigm
Neosecularization Theory
Concluding Reflections on Secularization
Civil Religion
Summary
14. Religion Outside the (God) Box
Religion and the "Old" Media
Religion and the "New Media"
Religion and Sport
Quasi-Religious Movements
Summary
15. Religion and Globalization
The Globalization Process
World Religions and the Emergence of Global Theologies
Impact of Globalization on Religion
The Role of Religion in Global Affairs
Summary
Epilogue. The Sociological Perspective on Religion: A Concluding Comment
Bibliography
Name Index
Subject Index