God is dead : secularization in the West

Author(s)

Bibliographic Information

God is dead : secularization in the West

Steve Bruce

(Religion in the modern world)

Blackwell, 2002

  • : pbk

Available at  / 18 libraries

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Note

Includes bibliographical references (p. [248]-263) and index

Description and Table of Contents

Volume

ISBN 9780631232742

Description

Christianity in the democracies of the 'first' world has been declining in power, popularity and prestige for a century. However, many commentators, social scientists as well as church leaders, try and minimize the extent of this change. They maintain that religious sentiment remains strong despite declining levels of church involvement, and insist that secularization is an academic myth. In this robust defense of the secularization paradigm, Bruce elaborates just what Weber, Durkheim, Berger and Wilson thought was happening to religion in the West, and responds to critics of this concept. Specific topics covered include the significance of New Age spirituality, the influence of eastern religions on the West, the impact of science, the charismatic movement, religion and politics in the USA, and the future of religion. Bruce concludes the old orthodoxy was right: cultural diversity, in egalitarian and liberal democracies that place the individual above the community, undermines religious belief. Drawing on a diverse range of international examples, and written by one of the foremost sociologists of religion working today, God is Dead moves the debate about secularization forward. It will be an invaluable resource for students of sociology of religion, modern religion, Christianity, new religious movements and religion and culture.

Table of Contents

List of Figures. List of Tables. Preface . Acknowledgements. 1. The Secularization Paradigm. 2. The Golden Age of Faith. 3. God is Dead: Christianity in Britain. 4. The Failure of the New Age. 5. Science and Secularization. 6. The Easternization of the West. 7. Regression to the Mean. 8. Subsistence Religion. 9. The Charismatic Movement and Secularization. 10. Discovering Religion: Mistakes of Method. 11. Religion in the United States. 12. Postmodernism and the Religious Revival. Notes. Bibliography. index .
Volume

: pbk ISBN 9780631232759

Description

Drawing on an international range of examples, Steve Bruce offers a comprehensive and up-to-date defence of the secularisation debate.

Table of Contents

Figures. Tables. Preface. Acknowledgements. 1. The Secularization Paradigm. 2. The Golden Age of Faith. 3. God is Dead: Christianity in Britain. 4. The Failure of the New Age. 5. Science and Secularization. 6. The Easternization of the West. 7. Regression to the Mean. 8. Subsistence Religion. 9. The Charismatic Movement and Secularization. 10. Discovering Religion: Mistakes of Method. 11. Religion in the United States. 12. Postmodernism and the Religious Revival. Notes. References. Index.

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Details

  • NCID
    BA58112761
  • ISBN
    • 0631232745
    • 0631232753
  • Country Code
    uk
  • Title Language Code
    eng
  • Text Language Code
    eng
  • Place of Publication
    Oxford
  • Pages/Volumes
    xv, 269 p.
  • Size
    23 cm
  • Classification
  • Subject Headings
  • Parent Bibliography ID
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