New Sociology of Religion Handbook
Leading sociologists of religion present comprehensive overview of their field of research
Leading sociologists of religion have presented the first comprehensive handbook on the sociology of religion in German-speaking countries. It provides an overview of the state of research and expounds the field of research’s spectrum and relevance. In the handbook, they edit the basics of their subject for scholars and students of sociology, theology and religious studies as well as for those who are interested in politics and the media. The editors are the sociologists of religion Prof. Dr Detlef Pollack and Dr Olaf Müller from the Cluster of Excellence “Religion and Politics” of the University of Münster, Prof. Dr Volkhard Krech from Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB), and Dr Markus Hero from the Institute of Trans-disciplinary Social Sciences at Karlsruhe University of Education. The volume with its more than one thousand pages has been published by Springer VS in Wiesbaden.
Sociology of religion has gained in importance in Germany over the past two decades, the editors write. The new handbook is based on a dynamic concept of religion. Religion is not only analysed in its contextual interrelationships, its political, economic, social and cultural dependencies, but is also treated as an independent factor shaping social reality. The focus here is not on presenting the cultural history of religions in different periods and regions in a comprehensive manner or on gathering the diversity of religious phenomena in their change and their cultural context. Instead, the handbook primarily attempts to present and critically reflect on the conceptual distinctions and theoretical concepts which are applicable to the work of sociology of religion. Particular attention is paid not to the historical analysis , but to the discussion of theoretically and methodologically relevant fundamental issues. (Springer VS/sca/vvm)