A Future for Religion? : New Paradigms for Social Analysis

In the 1960s many sociologists proclaimed traditional religion to be in its death throes. But, just as secularization gained nearly universal acceptance among scholars, religious resurgence burst forth from many directions - new religious movements and the growth of Islamic fundamentalism for example. In A Future for Religion?, contributors ask whether, if such dynamic forces are at work, is religion really dying? They discuss issues usually excluded from books on the sociology of religion - including religious experience, emotional renewal, religion and the body.

The editor has shown clearly the new dimensions in sociology of religion which the classical schools neglected as personal and private concerns and which do not fit into the positivistic approach to the study of religion. This book introduces new pardigms in the study of sociology of religion to be developed in the context of new religious movements.... This book is a valuable addition to the fields of sociology of religion and new social movements. --Economic and Political Weekly From the evangelical and charismatic Christianity to the growth of Islamic fundamentalism, society today is witnessing an explosion of religious activity and revival. Yet, since the 1960s, sociologists have been proclaiming that religion has been in its death throes. Can such dynamic religious forces be at work if religion is dying? What is happening? And what do we expect to happen to religion in the coming decades? In A Future for Religion?, a leading team of scholars responds to these questions and offers a glimpse of where religion is heading. In their analyses, the authors explore several areas traditionally excluded from sociology of religion texts: religious experience, emotional renewal, religion and the body, comparative analyses, the links between religion and politics, social movements, and immigration. Each chapter summarizes a particular direction, provides data from current research, and offers an agenda for future research. Written in an accessible, inviting style, A Future for Religion? is ideally suited to courses in the sociology of religion. "This is a useful and sometimes very interesting handbook....It combines theory and practical sense in good measure." --Seminar