Civil Religion Definition Sociology

  civil religion definition sociology: Civil Religion Today Rhys H. Williams, Raymond Haberski Jr., Philip Goff, 2021-10-26 An important concept that scholars have used to help understand the relationship between religion and the American nation and polity has been 'civil religion.' A seminal article by Robert Bellah appeared just over fifty years ago. A multi-disciplinary array of scholars in this volume assess the concept's origins, history, and continued usefulness. In a period of great political polarization, considering whether there is hope for a unifying value and belief system seems more important than ever--
  civil religion definition sociology: American Covenant Philip Gorski, 2019-06-25 The long battle between exclusionary and inclusive versions of the American story Was America founded as a Christian nation or a secular democracy? Neither, argues Philip Gorski in American Covenant. What the founders envisioned was a prophetic republic that would weave together the ethical vision of the Hebrew prophets and the Western political heritage of civic republicanism. In this eye-opening book, Gorski shows why this civil religious tradition is now in peril—and with it the American experiment. American Covenant traces the history of prophetic republicanism from the Puritan era to today, providing insightful portraits of figures ranging from John Winthrop and W.E.B. Du Bois to Jerry Falwell, Ronald Reagan, and Barack Obama. Featuring a new preface by the author, this incisive book demonstrates how half a century of culture war has drowned out the quieter voices of the vital center, and demonstrates that if we are to rebuild that center, we must recover the civil religious tradition on which the republic was founded.
  civil religion definition sociology: Everyday Sociology Reader Karen Sternheimer, 2020-04-15 Innovative readings and blog posts show how sociology can help us understand everyday life.
  civil religion definition sociology: The Oxford Handbook of the Sociology of Religion Peter Clarke, 2011-02-04 The Oxford Handbook of the Sociology of Religion draws on the expertise of an international team of scholars providing both an entry point into the sociological study and understanding of religion and an in-depth survey into its changing forms and content in the contemporary world. The role and impact of religion and spirituality on the politics, culture, education and health in the modern world is rigorously discussed and debated. The study of the sociology of religion forges interdisciplinary links to explore aspects of continuity and change in the contemporary interface between society and religion. Using a combination of theoretical, methodological and content-led approaches, the fifty-seven contributors collectively emphasise the complex relationships between religion and aspects of life from scientific research to law, ecology to art, music to cognitive science, crime to institutional health care and more. The developing character of religion, irreligion and atheism and the impact of religious diversity on social cohesion are explored. An overview of current scholarship in the field is provided in each themed chapter with an emphasis on encouraging new thinking and reflection on familiar and emergent themes to stimulate further debate and scholarship. The resulting essay collection provides an invaluable resource for research and teaching in this diverse discipline.
  civil religion definition sociology: The Sociology of Religion George Lundskow, 2008-06-10 Using a lively narrative, The Sociology of Religion is an insightful text that investigates the facts of religion in all its great diversity, including its practices and beliefs, and then analyzes actual examples of religious developments using relevant conceptual frameworks. As a result, students actively engage in the discovery, learning, and analytical processes as they progress through the text. Organized around essential topics and real-life issues, this unique text examines religion both as an object of sociological analysis as well as a device for seeking personal meaning in life. The book provides sociological perspectives on religion while introducing students to relevant research from interdisciplinary scholarship. Sidebar features and photographs of religious figures bring the text to life for readers. Key Features Uses substantive and truly contemporary real-life religious issues of current interest to engage the reader in a way few other texts do Combines theory with empirical examples drawn from the United States and around the world, emphasizing a critical and analytical perspective that encourages better understanding of the material presented Features discussions of emergent religions, consumerism, and the link between religion, sports, and other forms of popular culture Draws upon interdisciplinary literature, helping students appreciate the contributions of other disciplines while primarily developing an understanding of the sociology of religion Accompanied by High-Quality Ancillaries! Instructor Resources on CD contain chapter outlines, summaries, multiple-choice questions, essay questions, and short answer questions as well as illustrations from the book. C Intended Audience This core text is designed for upper-level undergraduate students of Sociology of Religion or Religion and Politics.
  civil religion definition sociology: Civil Religion in Israel Charles S. Liebman, Eliezer Don-yehiya, 2022-05-13 This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1983.
  civil religion definition sociology: Religion and America Mary Douglas, 1983
  civil religion definition sociology: The Oxford Handbook of Medieval Christianity John H. Arnold, 2014-08-21 The Oxford Handbook of Medieval Christianity takes as its subject the beliefs, practices, and institutions of the Christian Church between 400 and 1500AD. It addresses topics ranging from early medieval monasticism to late medieval mysticism, from the material wealth of the Church to the spiritual exercises through which certain believers might attempt to improve their souls. Each chapter tells a story, but seeks also to ask how and why 'Christianity' took particular forms at particular moments in history, paying attention to both the spiritual and otherwordly aspects of religion, and the material and political contexts in which they were often embedded. This Handbook is a landmark academic collection that presents cutting-edge interpretive perspectives on medieval religion for a wide academic audience, drawing together thirty key scholars in the field from the United States, the UK, and Europe. Notably, the Handbook is arranged thematically, and focusses on an analytical, rather than narrative, approach, seeking to demonstrate the variety, change, and complexity of religion throughout this long period, and the numerous different ways in which modern scholarship can approach it. While providing a very wide-ranging view of the subject, it also offers an important agenda for further study in the field.
  civil religion definition sociology: Religion in the Contemporary World Alan Aldridge, 2007-10-09 Examines the complex realities of religious belief, practice and institutions, ranging from the high growth rates of successful minority religious movements such as Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses, to the phenomenal rise of Pentecostalism, the challenge of 'fundamentalism' and the apparent turn from religion to spirituality.
  civil religion definition sociology: Encyclopedia of Religion and Society William H. Swatos, 1998 As the new millennium approaches, the sacred and profane interface, conflict, and intermingle in novel ways. The Encyclopedia of Religion and Society provides a guide map for these developments. From succinct, brief notes to essay-length entries, it covers world religions, religious perspectives on political and social issues, and religious leaders and scholars -- present and past -- in the United States and the world. This comprehensive volume is an essential reference for studies in the anthropology, psychology, politics, and sociology of religion. Topics include: abortion, adolescence, African-American religious experience, anthropology of religion, Buddhism, commitment, conversion, definition of religion, ecology movement, Emile Durkheim, ethnicity, fundamentalism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, new religious movements, organization, parish, Talcott Parsons, racism, research methods, Roman Catholicism, sexism, Unification Church, Max Weber, and many others.
  civil religion definition sociology: From Civil to Political Religion Marcela Cristi, 2001-08-23 The coercive potential of civil religion has received little attention from theorists, or has been wrongly relegated to developing nations. Cristi (sociology, U. of Waterloo) critiques the literature of the civil religion thesis, in particular the thinking of Rousseau, Durkheim, and the American sociologist Robert Bellah, and argues for a reinterpretation of Rousseau and Durkheim's classical approaches. She backs up the critique with a comparative survey of state-directed civil religions and a case study of civil religion in Pinochet's Chile. c. Book News Inc.
  civil religion definition sociology: Varieties of Civil Religion Robert N. Bellah, Phillip E. Hammond, 2013-11-01 In 1980, Varieties of Civil Religion was the latest statement in the field of civil religion pioneered by Robert Bellah. Over thirty years later, scholarly interest in the field continues to grow. By examining the force of religion in politics and society, this book offers a comparative treatment that deepens the understanding of American civil religion and provides a lens for exploring civil religion in other societies, particularly those of Italy, Mexico, and Japan. Bellah and Hammond trace the historical development of the peculiarly American brand of civil religion as they unravel its sometimes baffling intricacies. Themes include the conviction that America is a chosen country and American power in the world is identical with divine will. The book also examines the vigorous counterbalance that has opposed unjust wars or demanded racial and social justice. Altogether, the health of a civil religion may be a prime indication of the overall health of any society. The authors state that when civil religious symbols are co-opted by ultraconservatives, and the philosophy of liberalism seems less adequate as a guide for public or private lives, a revival of public philosophy is urgently needed. Varieties of Civil Religion supports such a revival by making the religious aspect of our central tradition understandable in a nonreactionary way. It also reaffirms that American civil religion, with its deeper tradition of openness, tolerance, and ethical commitment, can make an essential contribution to a global order of civility and justice.
  civil religion definition sociology: The Broken Covenant Robert Neelly Bellah, 1975
  civil religion definition sociology: Politics as Religion Emilio Gentile, 2020-09-01 Emilio Gentile, an internationally renowned authority on fascism and totalitarianism, argues that politics over the past two centuries has often taken on the features of religion, claiming as its own the prerogative of defining the fundamental purpose and meaning of human life. Secular political entities such as the nation, the state, race, class, and the party became the focus of myths, rituals, and commandments and gradually became objects of faith, loyalty, and reverence. Gentile examines this sacralization of politics, as he defines it, both historically and theoretically, seeking to identify the different ways in which political regimes as diverse as fascism, communism, and liberal democracy have ultimately depended, like religions, on faith, myths, rites, and symbols. Gentile maintains that the sacralization of politics as a modern phenomenon is distinct from the politicization of religion that has arisen from militant religious fundamentalism. Sacralized politics may be democratic, in the form of a civil religion, or it may be totalitarian, in the form of a political religion. Using this conceptual distinction, and moving from America to Europe, and from Africa to Asia, Gentile presents a unique comparative history of civil and political religions from the American and French Revolutions, through nationalism and socialism, democracy and totalitarianism, fascism and communism, up to the present day. It is also a fascinating book for understanding the sacralization of politics after 9/11.
  civil religion definition sociology: From Civil to Political Religion Marcela Cristi, 2006-01-01 Prompted by the shattering of the bonds between religion and the political order brought about by the Enlightenment, Jean-Jacques Rousseau devised a “new” religion (civil religion) to be used by the state as a way of enforcing civic unity. Emile Durkheim, by contrast, conceived civil religion to be a spontaneous phenomenon arising from society itself — a non-coercive force expressing the self-identify or self-definition of a people. In 1967, the American sociologist Robert Bellah rediscovered the concept and applied it to American society in its Durkheimian form. Ever since Bellah’s publication, most authors have sought to explain civil religion in terms of an alleged “spontaneous” integrative role for society. They have emphasized the religious and cultural dimension of the concept, but failed to give due consideration to its political-ideological foundations. Thus, the coercive potential of civil religion has received little attention or has been wrongly relegated to Third World countries. Cristi provides a critique of the civil religion thesis, and identifies the most basic deficiencies of literature on this topic. By contrasting Bellah’s Durkheimian conception with Rousseau’s original formulation, the author discloses the dubious conceptual and empirical basis of the former. She demonstrates the need to rethink Bellah’s thesis in the light of a reinterpretation of Rousseau’s and Durkheim’s classical approaches, and substantiates her critique with a brief comparative survey of state-directed civil religions, and with an informative case study of civil religion in Pinochet’s Chile.
  civil religion definition sociology: Essays on Nationalism Carlton Joseph Huntley Hayes, 1926
  civil religion definition sociology: The Lively Experiment Sidney E. Mead, 2007-05 In this lucid and learned book one of America's outstanding historians shows the development of the thought and institutional life which characterize Christianity in America. He explains this religious development in terms of the emergence of religious freedom and the physical fact of the frontier. As he enlarges upon many aspects of his main theme, Dr. Mead traces the parallel growth and creative tension of Christianity and democracy.Dr. Mead discusses:The American PeopleFrom Coercion to PersuasionAmerican Protestantism during the Revolutionary EpochThomas Jefferson's Fair ExperimentAbraham Lincoln's Last, Best Hope of EarthWhen Wise Men HopedDenominationalismAmerican Protestantism Since the Civil War I. From Denominationalism to AmericanismAmerican Protestantism Since the Civil War II. From Americanism to ChristianityThe Lively Experiment is an unusually interesting and timely study that will appeal to every reader concerned with the religious, social, intellectual, and cultural history of America.
  civil religion definition sociology: Ritual: A Very Short Introduction Barry Stephenson, 2015-01-28 Ritual is part of what it means to be human. Like sports, music, and drama, ritual defines and enriches culture, putting those who practice it in touch with sources of value and meaning larger than themselves. Ritual is unavoidable, yet it holds a place in modern life that is decidedly ambiguous. What is ritual? What does it do? Is it useful? What are the various kinds of ritual? Is ritual tradition bound and conservative or innovative and transformational? Alongside description of a number of specific rites, this Very Short Introduction explores ritual from both theoretical and historical perspectives. Barry Stephenson focuses on the places where ritual touches everyday life: in politics and power; moments of transformation in the life cycle; as performance and embodiment. He also discusses the boundaries of ritual, and how and why certain behaviors have been studied as ritual while others have not. Stephenson shows how ritual is an important vehicle for group and identity formation; how it generates and transmits beliefs and values; how it can be used to exploit and oppress; and how it has served as a touchstone for thinking about cultural origins and historical change. Encompassing the breadth and depth of modern ritual studies, Barry Stephenson's Very Short Introduction also develops a narrative of ritual's place in social and cultural life. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
  civil religion definition sociology: The SAGE Handbook of the Sociology of Religion James A Beckford, Jay Demerath, 2007-10-29 In their introduction to this Handbook, the editors affirm: ′Many sociologists have come to realise that it makes no sense now to omit religion from the repertoire of social scientific explanations of social life′. I wholeheartedly agree. I also suggest that this wide-ranging set of essays should become a starting-point for such enquiries. Each chapter is clear, comprehensive and well-structured - making the Handbook a real asset for all those engaged in the field. - Grace Davie, University of Exeter Serious social scientists who care about making sense of the world can no longer ignore the fact that religious beliefs and practices are an important part of this world... This Handbook is a valuable resource for specialists and amateurs alike. The editors have done an exceptionally fine job of incorporating topics that illuminate the range and diversity of religion and its continuing significance throughout the world. - Robert Wuthnow, Princeton University At a time when religions are increasingly affecting, and affected by, life beyond the narrowly sacred sphere, religion everywhere seems to be caught up in change and conflict. In the midst of this contention and confusion, the sociology of religion provides a rich source of understanding and explanation. This Handbook presents an unprecedentedly comprehensive assessment of the field, both where it has been and where it is headed. Like its many distinguished contributors, its topics and their coverage are truly global in their reach. The Handbook′s 35 chapters are organized into eight sections: basic theories and debates; methods of studying religion; social forms and experiences of religion; issues of power and control in religious organizations; religion and politics; individual religious behaviour in social context; religion, self-identity and the life-course; and case studies of China, Eastern Europe, Israel, Japan, and Mexico. Each chapter establishes benchmarks for the state of sociological thinking about religion in the 21st century and provides a rich bibliography for pursuing its subject further. Overall, the Handbook stretches the field conceptually, methodologically, comparatively, and historically. An indispensable source of guidance and insight for both students and scholars. Choice ′Outstanding Academic Title′ 2009
  civil religion definition sociology: Public Religions in the Modern World José Casanova, 2011-08-29 In a sweeping reconsideration of the relation between religion and modernity, Jose Casanova surveys the roles that religions may play in the public sphere of modern societies. During the 1980s, religious traditions around the world, from Islamic fundamentalism to Catholic liberation theology, began making their way, often forcefully, out of the private sphere and into public life, causing the deprivatization of religion in contemporary life. No longer content merely to administer pastoral care to individual souls, religious institutions are challenging dominant political and social forces, raising questions about the claims of entities such as nations and markets to be value neutral, and straining the traditional connections of private and public morality. Casanova looks at five cases from two religious traditions (Catholicism and Protestantism) in four countries (Spain, Poland, Brazil, and the United States). These cases challenge postwar—and indeed post-Enlightenment—assumptions about the role of modernity and secularization in religious movements throughout the world. This book expands our understanding of the increasingly significant role religion plays in the ongoing construction of the modern world.
  civil religion definition sociology: Religion in Society Ronald L. Johnstone, 2015-11-17 For junior/senior-level courses in Religion and Society in departments of Sociology and Religious Studies. Using an unbiased, balanced approach, the 8th edition of this text puts religion in its social context by discussing the impact of society on religion and helps students understand the role and function of religion in society that occur regardless of anyone's claims about the truth or falsity of religious systems.
  civil religion definition sociology: Religion in the Contemporary World Alan Aldridge, 2013-04-12 In the new edition of this widely praised text, Alan Aldridge examines the complex realities of religious belief, practice and institutions. Religion is a powerful and controversial force in the contemporary world, even in supposedly secular societies. Almost all societies seek to cultivate religions and faith communities as sources of social stability and engines of social progress. They also try to combat real and imagined abuses and excess, regulating cults that brainwash vulnerable people, containing fundamentalism that threatens democracy and the progress of science, and identifying terrorists who threaten atrocities in the name of religion. The third edition has been carefully revised to make sure it is fully up to date with recent developments and debates. Major themes in the revised edition include the recently erupted ‘culture war’ between progressive secularists and conservative believers, the diverse manifestations of ‘fundamentalism’ and their impact on the wider society, new individual forms of religious expression in opposition to traditional structures of authority, and the backlash against ‘multiculturalism’ with its controversial implications for the social integration of ethnic and religious minority communities. Impressive in its scholarly analysis of a vibrant and challenging aspect of human societies, the third edition will appeal strongly to students taking courses in the sociology of religion and religious studies, as well as to everyone interested in the place of religion in the contemporary world.
  civil religion definition sociology: Holy Nations and Global Identities , 2009-09-28 Along with the processes of globalisation and the end of the cold war we have seen an upsurge in religious nationalism and an increasing focus on the role of religion as a legitimising force in democratic secular states. Holy Nations & Global Identities draws on the combined theoretical and historical insight of historians, political scientists and social scientists on the question of nationalism and globalisation with the methodological knowledge of religion presented by sociologists of religion. The book brings genuine theoretical explorations and original case studies on civil religion, nationalism and globalization. It also provides an introduction to the research history of the fields and aims to develop and elaborate on the theories and methodology of the investigated subjects.
  civil religion definition sociology: The Sociology of Islam Armando Salvatore, 2016-05-02 The Sociology of Islam provides an accessible introduction to this emerging field of inquiry, teaching and debate. The study is located at the crucial intersection between a variety of disciplines in the social sciences and the humanities. It discusses the long-term dynamics of Islam as both a religion and as a social, political and cultural force. The volume focuses on ideas of knowledge, power and civility to provide students and readers with analytic and critical thinking frameworks for understanding the complex social facets of Islamic traditions and institutions. The study of the sociology of Islam improves the understanding of Islam as a diverse force that drives a variety of social and political arrangements. Delving into both conceptual questions and historical interpretations, The Sociology of Islam is a transdisciplinary, comparative resource for students, scholars, and policy makers seeking to understand Islam’s complex changes throughout history and its impact on the modern world.
  civil religion definition sociology: Protestant--Catholic--Jew Will Herberg, 1983-10-15 The most honored discussion of American religion in mid-twentieth century times is Will Herberg's Protestant-Catholic-Jew. . . . [It] spoke precisely to the mid-century condition and speaks in still applicable ways to the American condition and, at its best, the human condition.—Martin E. Marty, from the Introduction In Protestant-Catholic-Jew Will Herberg has written the most fascinating essay on the religious sociology of America that has appeared in decades. He has digested all the relevant historical, sociological and other analytical studies, but the product is no mere summary of previous findings. He has made these findings the basis of a new and creative approach to the American scene. It throws as much light on American society as a whole as it does on the peculiarly religious aspects of American life. Mr. Herberg. . . illumines many facets of the American reality, and each chapter presents surprising, and yet very compelling, theses about the religious life of this country. Of all these perhaps the most telling is his thesis that America is not so much a melting pot as three fairly separate melting pots.—Reinhold Niebuhr, New Yorks Times Book Review
  civil religion definition sociology: Gods in the Global Village Lester R. Kurtz, 2015-04-01 In a world plagued by religious conflict, how can the various religious and secular traditions coexist peacefully on the planet? And, what role does sociology play in helping us understand the state of religious life in a globalizing world? In the Fourth Edition ofGods in the Global Village, author Lester Kurtz continues to address these questions. This text is an engaging, thought-provoking examination of the relationships among the major faith traditions that inform the thinking and ethical standards of most people in the emerging global social order. Thoroughly updated to reflect recent events, the book discusses the role of religion in our daily lives and global politics, and the ways in which religion is both an agent of, and barrier to, social change.
  civil religion definition sociology: Nation, Civil Society and Social Movements T K Oommen, 2004-03-20 This book is a collection of 12 essays on three interrelated themes of Nation, Civil Society and Social Movements organized in three parts each having four chapters.
  civil religion definition sociology: Religion and Civil Society David Herbert, 2017-03-02 This book presents the first full-length study of the relationship between religion and the controversial concept of civil society. Across the world in the last two decades of the twentieth century religions re-entered public space as influential discursive and symbolic systems apparently beyond the control of either traditional religious authorising institutions or states. This differentiation of religion from traditional institutions and entry into secular public spheres carries both dangers and possible benefits for democracy. Offering a fresh interdisciplinary approach to understanding religion in contemporary societies, this book provides an invaluable resource for students and researchers in religious studies, sociology, politics and political philosophy, theology, international relations and legal studies. Part one presents a critical introduction to the interaction between religion, modernization and postmodernization in Western and non-Western settings (America, Europe, the Middle East and India), focussing on discourses of human rights, civil society and the public sphere, and the controversial question of their cross-cultural application. Part two examines religion and civil society through case studies of Egypt, Bosnia and Muslim minorities in Britain, and compares Poland as an example of a Christian majority society that has experienced the public reassertion of religion.
  civil religion definition sociology: Taking America Back for God Andrew L. Whitehead, Samuel L. Perry, 2020 Why do white Protestants in America embrace a president who seems to violate their basic standards of morality? The answer, Andrew Whitehead and Samuel Perry argue, is Christian nationalism, the belief that the United States is -- and should be -- a Christian nation. Knowing someone's stance on Christian nationalism, this book shows, tells us more about his or her political beliefs than race, religion, or political party. Drawing on national survey data and interviews with Americans across the political spectrum, Taking America Back for God illustrates the tremendous influence of Christian nationalism on debates about the most contentious issues dominating American public life.
  civil religion definition sociology: The Oxford Handbook of the Sociology of Latin America Xochitl Bada, Liliana Rivera-Sánchez, 2021-04-09 The sociology of Latin America, established in the region over the past eighty years, is a thriving field whose major contributions include dependence theory, world-systems theory, and historical debates on economic development, among others. The Oxford Handbook of the Sociology of Latin America provides research essays that introduce the readers to the discipline's key areas and current trends, specifically with regard to contemporary sociology in Latin America, as well as a collection of innovative empirical studies deploying a variety of qualitative and quantitative methodologies. The essays in the Handbook are arranged in eight research subfields in which scholars are currently making significant theoretical and methodological contributions: Sociology of the State, Social Inequalities, Sociology of Religion, Collective Action and Social Movements, Sociology of Migration, Sociology of Gender, Medical Sociology, and Sociology of Violence and Insecurity. Due to the deterioration of social and economic conditions, as well as recent disruptions to an already tense political environment, these have become some of the most productive and important fields in Latin American sociology. This roiling sociopolitical atmosphere also generates new and innovative expressions of protest and survival, which are being explored by sociologists across different continents today. The essays included in this collection offer a map to and a thematic articulation of central sociological debates that make it a critical resource for those scholars and students eager to understand contemporary sociology in Latin America.
  civil religion definition sociology: The Sociology of Religion Malcolm B. Hamilton, 2012-06-12 This expanded second edition combines a discussion of the main theorists with a wide range of material illustrating the diversity of religious beliefs and practices.
  civil religion definition sociology: The SAGE Encyclopedia of the Sociology of Religion Adam Possamai, Anthony J. Blasi, 2020-02-14 The SAGE Encyclopedia of the Sociology of Religion takes a three-pronged look at this, namely investigating the role of religion in society; unpacking and evaluating the significance of religion in and on human history; and tracing and outlining the social forces and influences that shape religion. This encyclopedia covers a range of themes from: • fundamental topics like definitions • secularization • dimensions of religiosity to such emerging issues as civil religion • new religious movements This Encyclopedia also addresses contemporary dilemmas such as fundamentalism and extremism and the role of gender in religion.
  civil religion definition sociology: Baptized in Blood Charles Reagan Wilson, 1980 Charles Reagan Wilson documents that for over half a century there existed not one, but two civil religions in the United States, the second not dedicated to honoring the American nation. Extensively researched in primary sources, Baptized in Blood is a significant and well-written study of the South’s civil religion, one of two public faiths in America. In his comparison, Wilson finds the Lost Cause offered defeated Southerners a sense of meaning and purpose and special identity as a precarious but distinct culture. Southerners may have abandoned their dream of a separate political nation after Appomattox, but they preserved their cultural identity by blending Christian rhetoric and symbols with the rhetoric and imagery of Confederate tradition. “Civil religion” has been defined as the religious dimension of a people that enables them to understand a historical experience in transcendent terms. In this light, Wilson explores the role of religion in postbellum southern culture and argues that the profound dislocations of Confederate defeat caused southerners to think in religious terms about the meaning of their unique and tragic experience. The defeat in a war deemed by some as religious in nature threw into question the South’s relationship to God; it was interpreted in part as a God-given trial, whereby suffering and pain would lead Southerners to greater virtue and strength and even prepare them for future crusades. From this reflection upon history emerged the civil religion of the Lost Cause. While recent work in southern religious history has focused on the Old South period, Wilson’s timely study adds to our developing understanding of the South after the Civil War. The Lost Cause movement was an organized effort to preserve the memory of the Confederacy. Historians have examined its political, literary, and social aspects, but Wilson uses the concepts of anthropology, sociology, and historiography to unveil the Lost Cause as an authentic expression of religion. The Lost Cause was celebrated and perpetuated with its own rituals, mythology, and theology; as key celebrants of the religion of the Lost Cause, Southern ministers forged it into a religious movement closely related to their own churches. In examining the role of civil religion in the cult of the military, in the New South ideology, and in the spirit of the Lost Cause colleges, as well as in other aspects, Wilson demonstrates effectively how the religion of the Lost Cause became the institutional embodiment of the South’s tragic experience.
  civil religion definition sociology: Japanese Religion and Society Winston Davis, 1992-01-01 From case studies of Japanese life, distills theories to explore how the religion, culture, and values are related to society, social change, and economic development. Draws on the methodologies of sociology, anthropology, history, and other disciplines, and on interviews and observations, as well as on published literature. Paper edition (unseen),$16.95. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
  civil religion definition sociology: Secularization Karel Dobbelaere, 2002 In an epoch in which religion has explicitly and sometimes violently returned to the forefront of the global public scene, the process of secularization that has fundamentally marked Western and particularly European societies demands attention and analysis. This book, written from a sociological perspective, takes up that challenge. The author distinguishes three levels of secularization. Societal secularization which is a typical consequence of the processes of modernity, and of programmes of la cisation promoted by political parties. Individual secularization that is manifested in the decline of church commitment; occurring as individuals re-compose their personal beliefs and practices in a religion la carte ; and as the individual's meaning system becomes compartmentalized and religion is separated from other areas of life. A third level, organizational secularization, covers the incidence of the adaptation of religious bodies to secularized society. The entire work is marked by meticulous description and analysis of numerous theoretical and empirical studies, and by due recognition of the intricate relationship between levels of secularization and the impact of various actors in the many conflicts over religion's roles.
  civil religion definition sociology: Religion and Politics in Latin America Daniel H. Levine, 2014-07 This book explores the transformations in religion in conjunction with political change. Professor Levine suggests, highlights the dynamic and dialectical interaction between religion and politics in general, and addresses the more universal problem of relating thought to action. Originally published in 1981. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.
  civil religion definition sociology: Encyclopedia of Global Religion Mark Juergensmeyer, Wade Clark Roof, 2012 Presents entries A to L of a two-volume encyclopedia discussing religion around the globe, including biographies, concepts and theories, places, social issues, movements, texts, and traditions.
  civil religion definition sociology: Religious Leaders and Conflict Transformation Nukhet A. Sandal, 2017-02-16 The book introduces a theoretical framework to understand the role of religious leaders in conflict transformation and peacebuilding.
  civil religion definition sociology: Religion and the Public Sphere James Walters, Esther Kersley, 2018-06-12 Religion and the Public Sphere: New Conversations explores the changing contribution of religion to public life today. Bringing together a diverse group of preeminent scholars on religion, each chapter explores an aspect of religion in the public realm, from law, liberalism, the environment and security to the public participation of religious minorities and immigration. This book engages with religion in new ways, going beyond religious literacy or debates around radicalisation, to look at how religion can contribute to public discourse. Religion, this book will show, can help inform the most important debates of our time.
  civil religion definition sociology: Religion of White Rage Stephen C. Finley, 2020-09-21 Critically analyses the historical, cultural and political dimensions of white religious rage in America, past and present This book sheds light on the phenomenon of white rage, and maps out the uneasy relationship between white anxiety, religious fervour, American identity and perceived black racial progress. Contributors to the volume examine the sociological construct of the e;white labourere;, whose concerns and beliefs can be understood as religious in foundation, and uncover that white religious fervor correlates to notions of perceived white loss and perceived black progress. In discussions ranging from the Constitution to the Charlottesville riots to the evangelical community's uncritical support for Trump, the authors of this collection argue that it is not economics but religion and race that stand as the primary motivating factors for the rise of white rage and white supremacist sentiment in the United States.
Civil religion | Definition, Examples & Rousseau | Britannica
Civil religion is not identical to religious establishment. While established religions receive symbolic endorsement or financial aid from government, they may not reciprocate by …

Civil Religion Definition & Explanation - Sociology Plus
Aug 29, 2022 · Definition. Civil religion refers to a collection of values, customs, and symbols that express and honor a person’s connection to the community, the country, and the state while …

Civil religion - Wikipedia
Civil religion, also referred to as a civic religion, is the implicit religious values of a nation, as expressed through public rituals, symbols (such as the national flag), and ceremonies on …

Understanding Civil Religion in Sociology
Apr 28, 2024 · Civil religion refers to the integration of sacred elements into the public and political life of a society. This concept goes beyond traditional religious practices and beliefs, …

Civil Religion - ReviseSociology
Aug 6, 2018 · He defined ‘civil religion’ as any belief system which didn’t rely on a conception of a God, or gods, but which still inspired a passionate mass response with members displaying a …

Civil Religion | Topics | Sociology - tutor2u
A civil religion is a phrase created by Bellah to describe how nationalism has become a belief system like religion. It is argued that a civil religion performs the same functions as religion by …

Civil Religion - Everyday Sociology Blog
Civil religion is about more than just the mingling of politics and religion. Civil religion means that ideas beyond the traditional religious realm become elevated as sacred. As with traditional …

Civil Religion - Sociology of Religion - iResearchNet
Civil religion refers to the cultural beliefs, practices, and symbols that relate a nation to the ultimate conditions of its existence. The idea of civil religion can be traced to the French …

Civil Religion - (Intro to Sociology) - Vocab, Definition ... - Fiveable
Civil religion refers to a shared system of religious beliefs, symbols, and rituals that provide a unifying moral framework for a nation or political community. It is a form of public religion that …

Civil Religion - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics
The concept of ‘ civil religion ’ suggests that a pervasive, nonsectarian understanding of morality and transcendence sacralizes the nation-state, the polity, and the history and destiny of a …

The Religion of the Lost Cause: Ritual and Organization of …
Southern Civil Religion, 1865-1920 By CHARLES REAGAN WILSON S CHOLARS HAVE LONG NOTED THE IMPORTANCE OF RELIGION IN the South. The predominant evangelical …

Relationship between State and Civil Society: Theoretical …
, A. (2020). Relationship between State and Civil Society: Theoretical Review. Indonesian Journal of Sociology, Education, and Development, 2(1), 71-77. Relationship between State and Civil …

Peter L. Berger and the Sociology of Religion Titus Hjelm
Peter L. Berger and the Sociology of Religion Titus Hjelm Peter L. Berger (1929–2017) was one of the most influential sociologists of the last century. In the sociology of religion his status is …

American Civil Religion: An Empirical Study - JSTOR
thesis of American civil religion. Surely, if any-thing were to call forth spontaneously an ex-pression from the American public of the sentiments of their civil religion, it would be 4Although …

UNIT SOCIOLOGY AND THE STUDY RELIGION - eGyanKosh
UNIT 1 SOCIOLOGY AND THE STUDY OF i j RELIGION Structure I I 1.0 Objectivcs 1.1 Introduction 1.2 Religion is a Field of Sociological Analysis 1.2.1 Religion is a Social …

Directorate of Distance Education
– The meaning of Religion – Sociology of Religion. – Theorectical Perspective of Religion. 1.1 Introduction It is difficult to define religion. The difficulty is because of the fact that there are …

Readings for Comprehensive Exam in Sociology of Religion – …
questions in the sociology of religion—which the readings below address in various ways and about ... Bellah, Robert. 1967. “Civil Religion in America.” Daedalus. 96 (Winter). Pp. 1-21. …

American Civil Religion Revelations: Impact on its National ...
JOURNAL OF THE SOCIOLOGY & THEORY OF RELIGION, volumen 1 (2017): p. 1-30 ISSN: 2255-2715 idiosyncratic construction. This resource is the American civil religion, which is a …

The Sacred: Differentiating, Clarifying and Extending Concepts …
top general sociology journals for those in which the terms "sacred" and "secular" both appear.3 The three highest-scoring articles-Leuba (1913), Becker (1950), and Crippen ... There are three …

What Do We Mean by the Term Religion distribute - SAGE …
6 pArT I Introduction to the Sociology of religion Highlighting the ongoing efforts of sociologists to define their object of study, Christian Smith (2017) has recently offered yet another argument …

Sociology of Religion* - JSTOR
Sociology of Religion* SUSAN F. GREENWOODt Religion is a prevalent theme in the works of both Emile Durkheim and C. G. Jung, who par-ticipated in a common intellectual milieu. A …

Civil Religion Definition Sociology (Download Only)
Civil Religion Definition Sociology The Fabric of Society: Understanding Civil Religion in Sociology Imagine a nation unified not by a single religious creed, but by a shared set of beliefs, rituals, …

When Religion Becomes Deviance: Introducing Religion in
themselves as sociologists of religion rather than as deviance theorists, and their books and articles have primarily been written for and read by sociologists of religion. As a result, …

A Jewish America and a Protestant Civil Religion: Will …
Apr 13, 2015 · well-known legacy while Herberg’s contributions to an emerging body of scholarship on civil religion faded from sight. Civil religion was not new in 1955 or in 1967. But …

Religion - York University
The most pertinent sociology study of religion was E. Durkheim’s, The Elementary Forms of Religion Life’ ... (Individualistic definition) He claimed that," religion involves feelings, acts, and …

Religion as Political Resource - JSTOR
ethnicity, religion "has been the best predictor of political behavior throughout most of the t Rhys H. Williams is associate professor of sociology at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL …

Civil Religion Definition Sociology Copy - archive.ncarb.org
Civil Religion Definition Sociology: From Civil to Political Religion Marcela Cristi,2006-01-01 Prompted by the shattering of the bonds between religion and the political order brought about …

论公民宗教 - sociology.cssn.cn
约论》中拈出了“公民宗教”（civil religion）这个术语，借以分 析美国政治话语和公共生活中的宗教维度。相关议题随即引发了大量 讨论，成为上个世纪70、80年代美国宗教社会学界的一个事 …

Can America's 'Civil Religion' Still Unite The Country?
For these beliefs and principles to give definition to a nation, scholars argue, ... "I think the phrase 'civil religion' points to the way in which our political values have a dimension that goes beyond …

Religion and local civil society: participation and change in a …
an a priori definition of religion or civil society but aim to understand how religion features in narratives and practices of participation. Working at the intersection between sociology of ...

Beliefs in Society
Functionalism –Civil Religion THINKER: BELLAH • What unifies American society is an overarching civil religion –a belief system that attaches sacred qualities to society itself. • While …

Varieties of American Popular Nationalism - Scholars at …
civic nationalism in the American “civil religion” (Bellah 1967). Compared to most European nations, public ethnocultural claims have been relatively muted in mainstream postwar …

Towards a Sociology of Religion: An Interpretive Sociology …
Towards a Sociology of Religion: An Interpretive Sociology Approach* Anthony J. Blasi University of Louisville Andrew J. Weigert University of Notre Dame As a major discipline in the general …

Civil Religion Definition Sociology [PDF] - ncarb.swapps.dev
Civil Religion Definition Sociology: From Civil to Political Religion Marcela Cristi,2006-01-01 Prompted by the shattering of the bonds between religion and the political order brought about …

Civil Religion and the Ecumenical Endeavor - Word and World
civil religion has been doubted by some. No doubt the decision as to whether or not civil religion exists in America depends in part upon the definition that is accepted. Donald G. Jones and …

Making Sense of Culture - Scholars at Harvard
in sociology. Nearly all the classic works in American cultural sociology such as those of Herbert Gans, W.F. Whyte, Elliott Liebow, Robert Bellah, and Daniel Bell were written in this tradition, …

Sociological Theory Theorizing Region: Links to - SAGE Journals
comparative sociology, regions, historical sociology, race, nation Given the work that the concept of “region” does in sociology and other social sciences, it remains undertheorized and “a …

The Civil Religion in U.S. American Politics
of Civil Religion serves as the main definition of Civil Religion for the analysis of the connection between American Civil Religion and US-politics in this thesis. Furthermore, Bellah’s essay …

Politics and Religion - JSTOR
The tasks of the 1980s in the sociology of religion must surely include careful attention to the relations between politics and religion whether in the form of Church-state issues, the …

Lecture Notes on Emile Durkheim - University of Oregon
Sociology 310 Spring 2015. Lecture Notes on Emile Durkheim. Historical context of Durkheim's sociology • Political instability of the French republic in the late 19th century: rising working …

Religion - Springer
sions. It is at this point that the question of definition begins to resonate, for it is clear that, de facto at least, Weber is working with a substantive definition of religion. He is concerned with the …

From Civil Religion to Presidential Public Theology A Re …
ISSN 2414-8385 (Online) ISSN 2414-8377 (Print) European Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies September-December 2018 Volume 3. Issue 4 156 Undoubtedly, the term civil religion has …

EXAM NOTES 1 Functionalist Theory of Religion - Sociology …
Bellah: Civil Religion •eligion.Civil r Robert Bellah (1970) on the analysis of American society argues the religious beliefs will eventually die as society becomes more secular and more …

The sociology of the sacred: A conversation with Jeffrey …
sacred within sociology, it has received relatively little attention among scholars working in the sociological or cultural study of religion. This article, therefore, represents part of a wider …

Relationship between State and Civil Society: Theoretical Review
In his famous work the civil religion where he use the speech of John F Kennedy as reference in the case of America. Keyword: Marxist, Elites, Neo-Consensualist, Democracy, civil society, state

Religión civil - JSTOR
RELIGIÓNCIVIL lasfessobrenaturalesseansóloreliquiasdelpretérito.(Mimismareferencia inicialalassociedadesaltamentesecularizadassobreentiendequelosonsólode ...

Max Weber's Methodology and the Comparative Sociology …
and the Comparative Sociology of Religion Sven Eliaeson It was for a long time accepted knowledge that Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft ( Economy and Society ) was Weber's magnum …

Civil Religion, Nationalism, and Patriotism - ICLRS
Jun 16, 2021 · Sociology and director of the Association of Religion Data Archives at Indiana University and Purdue University. Dr. ... civil religion really highlights this idea of religious …

BARACK OBAMA AND CIVIL RELIGION - ResearchGate
Outside of American sociology, the term ‘‘civil religion’’ is most often associated with the name of Jean-Jacques Rousseau. In Book IV, Chapter 8

THE CIVIL RELIGION THESIS AS IT APPLIES TO A PLURALISTIC …
RobertBellah,"CivilReligioninAmerica,"BeyondBelief(New York:Harper andRow,170),pp.171and179. the themtogetherand the religionmodel Space not Proclama …

AMERICAN COVENANT: A HISTORY OF CIVIL RELIGION …
injected the notion of civil religion into modern sociology, but he did not invent the ... definition. Civil religion, he said, is the “founding myth” of a political community. This

What Do We Mean by the Term Religion distribute - SAGE …
6 pArT I Introduction to the Sociology of religion Highlighting the ongoing efforts of sociologists to define their object of study, Christian Smith (2017) has recently offered yet another argument …

Religions in Global Civil Society - JSTOR
518 SOCIOLOGY OF RELIGION THE DEVELOPMENT OF CIVIL SOCIETY AND CONVERSION IDEOLOGIES Civil society, according to its theorists and the groups involved in its practices, …

Religion: The British Contribution - JSTOR
Society ( 1966) and David Martin's A Sociology of English Religion ( 1967). Earlier works had largely been influenced by the French tradition of parish sociology, sociologie religieuse, given …

The Sociology of American Civil Religion: A Bibliographical …
The Sociology of American Civil Religion: A Bibliographic Essay* Phillip E. Hammond University of Arizona Introduction The notion of civil religion can be found throughout the history of social …

THE ROLE OF CIVIL RELIGION FORMING CIVIL SOCIETY …
2. Civil Religion Literally civil religion meant a civil religion (society), If It is seen as it is meant his religion. Therefore, it more accurately defined “civil diversity”, because he does not have God, …

Marxism and Religion - JSTOR
the sociology of religion: making the works of Marx and Engels into holy writ, establishment of an official priesthood, a 'secular scholasticism', even holy relics and pilgrimages ? "a religion with …

Max Weber's Types of Rationality: Cornerstones for the …
and Society (E&S) and the Collected Essays in the Sociology of Religion 1 An earlier version of this article was presented in September 1977 in Gottlieben, Switzerland, at a colloquium …

Claremont Colleges Scholarship @ Claremont
American political scientist brewed the modern definition of Civil Religion. As a result of this theory, there has been much philosophical, religious, and political debate about religion's place …

for fuller discussions). The concept, as Campbell (1972) has …
the traditional definition, and aggressive recruitment seems at the odds with the notion of a small informal group with relatively amorphous boundaries of belief and behavior. Thus the new …