Description
Book SynopsisSociology 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.
Table of ContentsSection 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
