3rd Edition

Sociology of Religion A Reader

Edited By William Mirola, Michael Emerson, Susanne Monahan Copyright 2019
    438 Pages 83 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    438 Pages 83 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    Sociology of Religion is a collection that seeks to explore the relationship between the structure and culture of religion and various elements of social life in the United States. This reader is an ideal standalone course text and can also serve as supplement to the text written by the same author team, Religion Matters (Routledge, 2010). Based on both classic and contemporary research in the sociology of religion, this new, third edition highlights a variety of research methods and theoretical approaches to studying the sociological elements of religion. It explores the ways in which religious values, beliefs and practices shape the world outside of church, synagogue, or mosque walls while simultaneously being shaped by the non-religious forces operating in that world.

    Section I: Changing Contexts

    1 America’s Changing Religious Landscape: Overview PEW Forum on Religion and Public Life

    2 Changing American Congregations: Findings from the Third Wave of the National Congregations Study Mark Chaves and Shawna L. Anderson

    3 All Creatures Great and Small: Megachurches in Context Mark Chaves

    4 “Nones” on the Rise: One-in-FiveAdults Have No Religious Affiliation PEW Forum on Religion and Public Life

    5 Is the United States a Counterexample to the Secularization Thesis? David Voas and Mark Chaves

    6 The Gender Gap in Religion Around the World: Women are Generally More Religious Than Men, Particularly Among Christians  Pew-Templeton Global Religious Futures Project

    7 Gendering Secularization Theory Linda Woodhead

    8 Socioeconomic Inequality in theAmerican Religious System: An Update and Assessment Christian Smith and Robert Faris

    9 The Shifting Religious Identity of Latinos in the United States: Nearly One-in-Four Latinos Are Former Catholics  PEW Forum on Religion and Public Life

    10 The Impact of International Migration on Home Churches: The Mar Thoma Syrian Christian Church in India Prema Kurien

    11 Redefining the Boundaries of Belonging: The Institutional Character of Transnational Religious Life Peggy Levitt

    12 Religious Population Share and Religious Identity Salience: Is Jewish Identity More Important to Jews in Less Jewish Areas?  Becka A. Alper and Daniel V. A. Olson

    Section II: Evolving Content

    13 Spiritual but Not Religious? Beyond Binary Choices in the Study of Religion Nancy T. Ammerman

    14 “I Was a Muslim, But Now I Am a Christian”: Preaching, Legitimation, and Identity Management in a Southern Evangelical Church  Gerardo Marti

    15 Warrior Chicks: Youthful Aging in a Postfeminist Prosperity Discourse Kathleen E. Jenkins and Gerardo Marti

    16 The Embodied Goddess: Feminine Witchcraft and Female Divinity Wendy Griffin

    17 U.S. College Students’ Perception of Religion and Science: Conflict, Collaboration, or Independence? A Research Note Christopher P. Scheitle

    18 Sensing God: Bodily Manifestations and Their Interpretation in Pentecostal Rituals and Everyday Life  Joel Inbody

    Section III: Patterning Diversity

    19 At Ease with Our Own Kind: Worship Practices and Class Segregation in American Religion Timothy J. Nelson

    20 Poor Teenagers’ Religion Philip Schwadel

    21 Practical Divine Influence: Socioeconomic Status and Belief in the Prosperity Gospel Scott Schieman and Jong Hyun Jung

    22 Religion, Race, and Discrimination: A Field Experiment of How American Churches Welcome Newcomers Bradley R. E. Wright, Christopher M. Donnelly, Michael Wallace, Stacy Missari, Annie Scola Wisnesky and Christine Zozula

    23 Race, Belonging, and Participation in Religious Congregations Brandon C. Martinez and Kevin D.Dougherty

    24 The Gender Pray Gap: Wage Laborand the Religiosity of High-Earning Women and Men Landon Schnabel

    25 Sexual Encounters and Manhood Acts: Evangelicals, Latter-Day Saints, and Religious Masculinities Kelsy Burke and Amy Moff Hudec

    26 Islam and Woman Where Tradition Meets Modernity: History and Interpretations of Islamic Women’s Status Jeri Altneu Sechzer

    27 Evangelical Ambivalence toward Gays and Lesbians  Lydia Bean and Brandon C. Martinez

    28 “We Are God’s Children, Y’All”: Race, Gender, and Sexuality in Lesbian- and Gay-Affirming Congregations Krista McQueeney

    Section IV: Seeing Consequences

    29 Religion and Gender Equality Worldwide: A Country-Level Analysis  Landon Schnabel

    30 Latino Congregations and Youth Educational Expectations Esmeralda Sanchez, Nicholas Vargas, Rebecca Burwell, Jessica Hamar Martinez, Milagros Pena and Edwin I Hernandez

    31 Rejecting Evolution: The Role of Religion, Education, and Social Networks Jonathan P. Hill

    32 Faith in the Age of Facebook: Exploring the Links Between Religion and Social Network Site Membership and Use Brian J. Miller, Peter Mundey and Jonathan P. Hill

    33 Correcting a Curious Neglect, or Bringing Religion Back In Christian Smith

    34 Social Support and the Religious Dimensions of Close Ties Stephen M. Merino

    35 Bereavement and Religion Online: Stillbirth, Neonatal Loss, and Parental Religiosity Janel Kragt Bakker and Jenell Paris

     

    Biography

    William A. Mirola is Professor of Sociology and Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Marian University in Indianapolis, IN. His teaching and research interests focus on the sociology of religion, social class, and social movements and change. In addition to a range of articles and reviews, he has co-edited and authored two books, Religion and Class in America: Culture, History, and Politics (Brill Publishers) and Redeeming Time: Protestantism and Chicago’s Eight-Hour Movement, 1866–1912 (University of Illinois Press).

    Michael O. Emerson is Provost and Professor of Sociology at North Park University in Chicago, and Faculty Affiliate at the Center for Religion and Society at the University of Notre Dame. In addition to many articles on the topic of religion, he is the author of several books, including Divided by Faith: Evangelical Religion and the Problem of Race in America (Oxford University Press) and People of the Dream: Multiracial Congregations in the United States (Princeton University Press).

    Susanne C. Monahan is Professor of Sociology and Associate Provost for Program Development at Western Oregon University. She received a Ph.D. and A.M. in Sociology from Stanford University, and a B.A. in Sociology/Anthropology and Economics from Swarthmore College. Her research focuses on complex organizations, including work on American congregations and clergy. She has published articles and reviews in the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, Review of Religious Research, Sociology of Religion, Theoretical Criminology, Justice Quarterly, Journal of the American Academy of Religion, and Child Development.