This third edition of Sociology of Religion introduces students to key principles in the sociological understanding of religion, with revisions and updates throughout. The book offers an overview of the nature and function of religious institutions and practices, asking sociological questions about the changing role of religion in today’s “post-traditional” world. After an introduction to the many facets of religion and key theories for its study, the book examines central themes such as changes in religious life in the United States; the intersections between religion, social class, and power and between gender, sexuality, and religion; globalization and religion; religion in mass media; and more. The third edition features new material on the relationship of race and ethnicity to religion, the perceived rises of both secularism and fundamentalism, and the role of religion in public debates on sexuality. Sociology of Religion addresses both the foundations of the field and the profound changes it has undergone, placing new examples against their historical background. Charts, photos, down-to-earth examples, and a readable style make the book an ideal introduction for students.
Sociology of Religion charts changes in the sociology of religion without ignoring the continuing relevance of Weber, Durkheim, and Marx. Veteran sociologists Christiano, Swatos, and Kivisto address both the foundations and the profound changes in the field, placing new conceptions against their historical background. Charts, pictures, down-to-earth examples, and a readable style keep the history and new developments within the reach of undergraduates. Instructors who want to give their students a current and comprehensive overview of the field should take a look at Sociology of Religion: Contemporary Developments.
Floods of immigration and rapid industrialization and urbanization in America at the turn of the century set in motion the transformation of many long-established institutions. This book examines specific ways in which cultural changes affected the structure of the religious establishment. Statistical models are applied to United States Census data from 1890 and 1906 on city and church populations, revealing connections between the growth of cities, the increase in literacy, and the formation of ethnic subcommunities that led to a new level of religious diversity. The author analyses evidence of growing competition among churches and of a level of individual commitment to congregations, demonstrating that the patterns of religious community established at the turn of the century provided the basis for the current denominational system. The author further analyses the relationship of religious diversity to urban secularization, as well as its role as a catalyst to sectarian conflict. In offering a quantitative assessment of issues central to the history of American religion, this book is a significant contribution to the study of religion in America.
First published in 2001, Causality in Macroeconomics addresses the long-standing problems of causality while taking macroeconomics seriously. The practical concerns of the macroeconomist and abstract concerns of the philosopher inform each other. Grounded in pragmatic realism, the book rejects the popular idea that macroeconomics requires microfoundations, and argues that the macroeconomy is a set of structures that are best analyzed causally. Ideas originally due to Herbert Simon and the Cowles Commission are refined and generalized to non-linear systems, particularly to the non-linear systems with cross-equation restrictions that are ubiquitous in modern macroeconomic models with rational expectations (with and without regime-switching). These ideas help to clarify philosophical as well as economic issues. The structural approach to causality is then used to evaluate more familiar approaches to causality due to Granger, LeRoy and Glymour, Spirtes, Scheines and Kelly, as well as vector autoregressions, the Lucas critique, and the exogeneity concepts of Engle, Hendry and Richard.
Thank you for visiting our website. Would you like to provide feedback on how we could improve your experience?
This site does not use any third party cookies with one exception — it uses cookies from Google to deliver its services and to analyze traffic.Learn More.