Description
Book SynopsisR. Stephen Warner traces the ""new paradigm"" interpretation of American religion. Formulatted in the 1990s in response to theories of secularization that focused on the waning plausibility of religions, the new paradigm reoriented to a focus on communities, subcultures, new religious institutions, and the fluidity of modern religious identities.
Trade ReviewA generation from now Warner will be remembered as the scholar who argued that free markets are as good for the soul as they are for capitalism-the Milton Friedman of American religion. Fans and critics alike will benefit from reading this stimulating collection of essays. -- Robert Wuthnow * Andlinger Professor of Sociology, Princeton University *
Here we have in one volume both the intimate portraits and the ground-breaking insights that have changed the way we think about religion in the U.S. -- Nancy T. Ammerman * author of Pillars of Faith: American Congregations and Their Partners *
Nearly two decades ago, with the publication of
New Wine in Old Wineskins: Evangelicals and Liberals in a Small-Town Church, R. Stephen Warner secured his place as one of the leading interpreters of American religion. This volume of essays, penned in the intervening years, stands as a worthy successor. It reveals a breadth of vision that is as remarkable as the subtlety of its analysis. -- Grant Wacker * Duke University *
Table of ContentsA Note on the Text
Retrospect: Looking Backward and Inward
Part One. Identifying the New Paradigm of Constitutive Disestablishment
Part Two. Close-ups and Overviews of Diverse Congregations
Prospect: Looking Forward and Outward
Appendix: List of Author's Cited Works
Index
