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God is Dead: Secularization in the West (Religion and Spirituality in the Modern World) ISBN: 0631232753 ISBN13: 9780631232759 God is Dead: Secularization in the West (Religion and Spirituality in the Modern World) By: Steve Bruce Publisher: Blackwell Publishers Format: Paperback Our Price: 17.59 Discount: 12% RRP: 19.99

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.


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.


Brief Description:

In this defence 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. Topics covered include new age spirituality, and the influence of Eastern religions.

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