Inger Furseth - Modern Sociologists on Society and Religion

Modern Sociologists on Society and Religion provides an introduction to some of the most influential figures in contemporary social theory with an emphasis on their analyses of society and religion. The figures profiled include Erving Goffman, Zygmunt Bauman, Michel Foucault, Peter L. Berger, Thomas Luckmann, Jrgen Habermas, Pierre Bourdieu, Anthony Giddens, Arlie Hochschild, Richard Sennett, and Patricia Hill Collins.

The introduction places these sociologists in contemporary social discourse. Each chapter begins with an introduction to the main work and social analyses of the sociologist in question. After a brief critical assessment, it outlines their view on religion, followed by examples of how other sociologists have used their theories to study religion. Each chapter ends with the authors suggestions for how their perspectives can be used to analyze the role of religion in contemporary society.

The book provides a general introduction and overview of social analyses in modern sociology. It is a rich resource for scholars and students on all levels who are interested in social theory and the complexity of religion in contemporary society.

Inger Furseth is Professor in Sociology at the University of Oslo, Norway.

Pl Repstad is Professor Emeritus in Sociology of Religion at the University of Agder, Norway.

Inger Furseth and Pl Repstad

This edition published 2022

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2022 Inger Furseth and Pl Repstad

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First published in Norwegian by Universitetsforlaget AS Universitetsforlaget 2021

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ISBN: 978-1-032-02000-6 (hbk)

ISBN: 978-1-032-02007-5 (pbk)

ISBN: 978-1-003-18144-6 (ebk)

DOI: 10.4324/9781003181446

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We planned to write this book more than ten years ago, and we are finalizing it with some sense of relief. Many years ago, we enjoyed working together on a book entitled Introduction to the Sociology of Religion: Classical and Contemporary Perspectives (2006). After it was published, we decided to continue the collaboration with a book on modern sociologists perspectives on society and religion, how other sociologists had used their ideas in empirical studies of religion, and our own views on the possibilities and limitations for applying their concepts and theories on the study of religious life. We had not seen anyone else use this approach, and we still believe in it.

We began to write about ten years ago, but both of us got research grants and directed two different research projects that took us in other directions. The work with the book came to a halt until 2017, when we agreed to complete it. We thought the idea was too good to leave it alone!

As the work developed, the presentation of the 11 sociologists grew. The book can therefore be used as an introduction for all readers with an interest in general contemporary social theory, not just readers with a special interest in religion.

Inger Furseth would like to express her appreciation to Norsk faglitterr forfatter- og oversetterforening (The Norwegian Nonfiction Writers and Translators Association) for a one-year grant to work on the manuscript. She would also like to extend her sincere thanks to James Beckford and her colleagues in the Department of Sociology and Human Geography at University of Oslo who read and gave constructive criticism and valuable advice on earlier drafts. Particularly helpful were Cathrine Holst, Fredrik Engelstad, Marianne Nordli Hansen, Dag Album, and Laura Fhrer. She would also like to acknowledge the valuable comments and suggestions from the participants at the departments annual seminar in cultural sociology. Pl Repstad would like to extend his gratitude to the sociology of religion milieu at the University of Agder, in particular, the research group on religious minorities and religious diversity led by Ida Marie Heg and Pl Ketil Botvar. He has enjoyed the discussions and the invaluable comments when he has presented earlier versions of his chapters. Pl Repstad would also like to extend his sincere thanks to Gwyn verland for translating the chapters he wrote into English. With a PhD in the sociology of religion, English as her mother tongue, and most of her life spent in Norway, she has been the ideal translator.

We would also like to acknowledge the anonymous reviewer for valuable criticism and suggestions. Last but not the least, we are indebted to each other for the enjoyable collaboration. We have written, discussed, revised, and discussed some more. In the beginning, we had physical meetings, often over dinner, but our discussions became virtual as the COVID-19 pandemic brought us to our home offices in March 2020. We wrote the introduction together. Inger Furseth wrote the chapters on Michel Foucault, Jrgen Habermas, Peter Berger, Thomas Luckmann, Pierre Bourdieu, and Patricia Hill Collins. Pl Repstad wrote the chapters on Erving Goffman, Zygmunt Bauman, Anthony Giddens, Arlie Hochschild, and Richard Sennett. Along the way, we have read each others chapters and given constructive criticism and invaluable suggestions.

Inger Furseth and Pl Repstad

DOI: 10.4324/9781003181446-1

Our aim with this book is to provide sociologists and sociology students with a toolkit from general sociology that will broaden and deepen the understanding of religion in a social context. We have selected 11 well-known theorists whose work has been used by some sociologists of religion. Our hope is that this book will inspire more to do so and thereby create a stronger link between general sociology and the sociology of religion. In this brief introduction, we will first explain why we wanted to write about social theorists, these 11 in particular, before we address more generally the topic of social theory and religion. We will also provide some help in how to use social theory in empirical studies, whether it is a masters thesis, PhD, or a larger research project. Towards the end, we will outline the structure of the book.