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Introduction

When asked by SCM Press to write this book, my initial thoughts turned to whether the sociology of religion really needed another introductory work to what is an already well-provisioned area of study. Accustomed to teaching both under- and postgraduate modules in this particular sub-discipline of sociology, I have never had difficulty filling introductory reading lists from the many companions, handbooks and introductions currently available. Two issues arising from this current abundance of student-orientated works are worthy of note. First, the upsurge in sociological interest in religion is historically recent. Although at the heart of the discipline when founded in the late 1800s (see Chapter 3), by the second half of the twentieth century sociological interest in religion was regarded as little more than an exotic appendage – if not, for some, a complete irrelevance – to the overarching disciplinary paradigm. While not rectified across all aspects of the discipline, ongoing changes in theoretical focus and concrete developments on the ground have combined to pique, once again, sociological interest in the religious landscape.

In respect of changes to the theoretical focus of the discipline, sociology’s long-standing preoccupation with overarching structures and large-scale institutional dynamics has steadily been complemented by interest in the everyday interactions, associational contexts and organizational processes through which individuals and communities live their lives and render their experiences meaningful. Accompanied by sundry other developments, this shift in disciplinary focus gradually opened the way for issues relating to religion to progress incrementally, if not haltingly, onto the mainstream sociological agenda. As noted in Chapter 2, academic engagement with the various dimensions of religious belief and practice furnishes insight into a range of issues and themes of direct relevance to the contemporary sociolo­gical community – from meaning-making and identity formation, through associational dynamics and organizational processes, to class, race and sex.

Regarding concrete events on the ground, sociological interest in religion has been reignited by a number of developments. Exemplified by the Christian right of the USA, the Shi‘ite revolution in Iran and religious nationalism in Asia and Europe, the rise of fundamentalist religiosity has heightened religion’s profile both in popular media coverage and academic policy for­ums (see Chapter 9). At the same time, the growth and internationalization of Pentecostal, evangelical and charismatic movements have further reinforced the now global profile of conservative religion (see Chapter 10). The emergence and spread of new religious movements and alternative spiritualities has likewise piqued academic interest in what is fast becoming both a progressively fluid terrain and vibrant field of study (see Chapters 5 and 7). In combination, developments such as these have challenged prevailing academic assumptions about religion’s irrelevance to modern life, and called for heightened sociological engagement with the dynamics, processes and structures through which contemporary belief and practice are manifest. Complemented by the aforementioned theoretical shift in disciplinary focus, the calls and challenges issued by developments on the ground have resulted in a veritable renaissance of sociological interest in religion – a renaissance evidenced by the current abundance of introductory works in the sociology of religion.

The second issue raised by this abundance of introductory works relates to the book that you have before you. If the sociology of religion is so well-provisioned, why the need for another introduction such as this? The answer to this question resides chiefly in the nature of the introductory works currently available. In effect, the overwhelming majority of introductions assume a familiarity with the subject knowledge and skills-base peculiar to sociology which a great many of their readers simply do not have. Because of the assumed familiarity of their readership, the bulk of the introductions available completely skip or superficially pass over a range of basic sociological material the understanding of which is essential to a rounded appreciation of the issues at hand. This particular introduction is a development of course materials delivered mostly to undergraduate students with little or no understanding of sociology. While attempting to turn these students on to the delights of the sociology of religion, this course material does not require them to be or become full-blown sociologists. It is enough that they gain a sense of what it means to think sociologically and thereby to engage religious belief and practice in a manner in keeping with the sociology of religion. In order to achieve this aspiration, and in addition to the substantive issues dealt with, students are familiarized throughout with the basics of the knowledge and skills associated with the sociological treatment of religion. As a development of these materials, this book is no different.

Such an approach, however, does not prevent this book from making a useful contribution for those with a degree of sociological learning already in place. When it comes to the foundations of any discipline, the iteration of its fundamental components does no one any harm! At the same time, the distinctive approach of the sociology of religion offers any number of avenues for developing a more nuanced and broadened understanding of the overarching sociological paradigm as a whole. Indeed, I have been approached on a number of occasions by undergraduate sociologists who have commented favourably upon the insights into their discipline gained through their participation in my courses.

Although holding in mind a readership with little or no prior sociological knowledge, this book also serves those who may be coming to religion for the first time. As well as introducing the disciplinary basics of the sociolo­gic­al gaze, what follows offers a foundational treatment of religion both as a concrete socio-cultural phenomenon and a particular field of academic study. In so doing, the book opens with two introductory chapters which outline a range of issues, themes and approaches relating to the academic study of modern society and religion respectively. Chapter 1 delineates the chief characteristics of modern society and the key ways in which soci­ology both frames and understands these characteristics. Chapter 2 outlines discussions in respect of defining religion and then links what religion is understood to be with questions relating to where it is sought and how it is engaged.

Chapter 3 builds upon these introductory overviews and engages the work of three individuals – Karl Marx, Émile Durkheim and Max Weber – generally recognized as having a major impact upon the foundation and subsequent development of both sociology in general and the sociology of religion in particular. The next three chapters treat a number of issues which revolve immediately around the contributions made by these three foundational thinkers. Chapters 4 and Chapter 5 engage discussions and debates about the status and place of religion within modern, urban-industrial society. Chapter 4 addresses a range of arguments relating to the notions of ‘secularization’ and ‘disenchantment’ which regard modern society as a less religious envir­onment than what has gone before. In direct contrast, Chapter 5 outlines a number of contrary arguments (such as ‘sacralization’ and ‘re-enchantment’) which reject the assumed association of modernity with a decline in religious belief and practice. Likewise engaging long-standing sociological discussions, Chapter 6 addresses established understandings of religion as a form of ideology. In so doing, this chapter also deals with the relationship between religion and gender.

What remains of this book addresses some of the most recent developments to which the sociology of religion has turned its attention. Chapter 7 treats the rise and spread of non-traditional forms of religion most commonly categorized as ‘new religious movements’ (NRMs) and ‘alternative spiritualities’. In addition to exploring issues of defining and studying novel religious phenomena, the chapter reflects upon a range of factors which influence the success or failure of new and non-mainstream religiosities. Chapter 8 engages a number of theories and discussions provoked by recent understandings of the religious domain as a kind of economy in which religion functions as an exchange commodity to be marketed and consumed. This chapter looks at the two most influential theoretical frames through which religion’s contemporary ‘marketization’ is understood. Chapter 9 outlines a variety of ways in which sociologists of religion analyse the rise, spread and character of religious fundamentalism. In addition to delineating the various types of religious fundamentalism currently in existence, the chapter focuses upon the analytical approaches employed to explain this characteristically ‘modern’ phenomenon. Chapter 10 closes the book by treating the contemporary dynamics of globalization and their impact upon modern-day religion. As well as treating the organizational implications of the international spread of traditional religions and new religiosities, the chapter concludes this work by addressing the impact of globalizing modern­ity upon the contemporary religious landscape.