Suchergebnisse

Foreword --Preface --CHAPTER 1:Thequestion of restructuring --CHAPTER 2:Heritage and vision --CHAPTER 3:Avision of promise and peril --CHAPTER 4:Conscience and conviction in public life --CHAPTER 5:Thedeclining significance of denominationalism --CHAPTER 6:Thegrowth of special purpose groups --CHAPTER 7:Thegreat divide: toward religious realignment --CHAPTER 8:Mobilization on the right --CHAPTER 9:Fueling the tensions --CHAPTER 10:Civil religion: two cheers for America --CHAPTER 11:From civil religion to technological legitimacy --CHAPTER 12:Abroader context: politics and faith --Notes --Selected bibliography --Index.

Much has been written in recent years about the decline, problems, distinctive traditions, and political conservatism of small rural "heartland" communities. I discuss the important place that rural communities occupied in the development of modern sociological theories, the focus of recent empirical studies of these communities, and the arguments that have been advanced about population decline and the stultifying effects of closed social networks. I then describe evidence that supports arguments about social resilience in small rural communities, including recent demographic figures about population stability, data on social capital and open networks, and qualitative information about small-town values and lifestyles.

Four decades have passed since the publication of Gerhard Lenski's The Religious Factor. While generally regarded as a classic in the sociology of religion, the book has had a curious history, largely because of the interest it generated in differences between Protestants and Catholics. In this paper I provide an alternative reading of The Religious Factor's impact on sociology of religion that points to its larger theoretical implications. I argue that the book should be understood in relation to continuing debates about the classification of religious traditions, differentiation among socioreligious groups, intergroup relations among religious traditions, and friendship ties within religious communities. Through understanding these contributions, the book's legacy as well as continuities and new opportunities in the study of religion can be appreciated.

The popular position that religious pluralism is harmful to the preservation of civil society is challenged, offering three arguments illustrating the influence of moral practices in maintaining democracy & markets: eg, both democracy & morality emphasize human development through the engagement of human faculties. Religious organizations are subsequently interpreted as communities that facilitate moral socialization rather than bodies that simply provide individuals opportunities for moral & organizational growth. After introducing the notion of "multiphrenic spirituality," defined as one's participation in multiple religious communities, an example of a person possessing multiphrenic spirituality is presented that demonstrates its negative & positive contributions. It is concluded that individuals with multiphrenic spiritual identities can make contributions to civil society through practice & moral deliberation. J. W. Parker

Data are analyzed from three national surveys conducted in 1984, 1989, and 1992, supplemented by other data from a 1991 and a 1992 survey, to examine the distribution of religious conservatives, moderates, and liberals, and to consider the social and ideological correlates of these religious orientations. The results suggest overall stability in the distribution of these orientations and offer modest support for status group, religious socialization, and religious organization interpretations of their sources. The results also indicate that religious views correspond with positions on a number of contested social policy issues, but cast doubt on arguments about deeper differences in worldview and moral perspectives. The ways in which the data support and help to refine arguments presented inThe Restrucruring of American Religionare discussed.