Sociology of religion in America : a history of a secular fascination with religion / by Anthony J. Blasi.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Blasi, Anthony J., author.

Series:

Studies in the history of religions ; 145.

Studies in the history of religions

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Religion and sociology--United States.

Religion and sociology.

United States.

Physical Description:

ix, 265 pages ; 25 cm.

Place of Publication:

Leiden ; Boston : Brill, [2014]

Summary:

Sociology of Religion in America tells the story of the controversies involved in the development of a scientific specialty that often makes news in America. The evidence it presents runs contrary to the many myths about the field. Sometimes viewed by scholars as a backwater, actual evidence from the 1890s to the 1980s shows that sociology of religion had a steady presence in sociology all along. Seen as a force alien to religion by some, it was actually in a mutually supportive relationship with religious organizations. Examining dissertations dating from 1895 to 1959 and scientific articles from the 1960s to the 1980s, Anthony J. Blasi discovers who the major sociologists of religion were and what they did. He traces the field's previously unknown tradition in community studies, the exigencies of the research institutes, and dramatic changes in the professional associations. Book jacket.

Contents:

1 Doctoral Dissertations in the Sociology of Religion, 1895-1959 12

Theoretical and Conceptual Citations in Dissertations in the Sociology of Religion 20

Who Were Cited as Sociologists of Religion? 26

Number of Sociology of Religion Citations in the Dissertations 37

Methods of Data Collection and Analysis Used in the Dissertations 37

Traditions and Denominations Under Study 40

2 Articles in the Sociology of Religion, 1964-1984 43

Universities Granting Doctorates to the Authors 46

How Consolidated Were the Locations for Publishing? 51

Classical Sociological Theory in the Articles 52

Citations of Theorists Other than the Classical Theorists 57

Citing Sociologists of Religion 64

Theoretical Paradigms and Topics 85

Methods of Data Collection 91

Methods of Data Analysis 93

What Religions Were Being Studied? 96

Specialties Other Than Sociology of Religion 102

Conclusion 105

3 Community Studies and the Sociology of Religion 106

Earliest Studies 111

Earliest University-Based Studies 113

Jewish Community Studies 115

Middletown 121

Studies of Sects 124

Mill Towns in the Piedmont 127

Different Cultures 130

Rural American Communities 133

Religion and Community Division 137

Urban Studies 140

Overview 145

4 Research Organizations 146

United States Bureau of the Census 146

W.E.B. DuBois and the Atlanta Studies 149

The Interchurch World Movement 151

Committee on Social and Religious Surveys 156

Institute of Social and Religious Research 157

Bureau of Applied Social Research 162

Survey Research Center, University of California, Berkeley 166

U.S. Department of Agriculture 168

University of Michigan Survey Research Center/Detroit Area Study 170

Howard W. Qdum Institute for Research in Social Science 170

The National Opinion Research Center 171

Bureau of Social and Religious Research, Garrett Biblical Institute 173

Other Agencies 176

5 Professional Associations 180

American Catholic Sociological Society 181

Association for the Sociology of Religion 189

Religious Research Association 193

Society for the Scientific Study of Religion 198

International Society for the Sociology of Religion 205

Research Committee 22 of the International Sociological Association 206

Association for the Scientific Study of Jewry 206

Summary Overview 208

6 Observations 210.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

ISBN:

9004271007

9789004271005

9789004271036

9004271031

OCLC:

872222392