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Both the critical & the systemic perspectives that currently inform the sociology of religion deal with the connection between myth & reality in contemporary society, but neither is sufficiently forceful to sway scientific opinion. The critical view, as articulated by Roland Robertson (Meaning and Change. Explorations in the Cultural Sociology of Modern Societies, New York: New York U Press, 1978), argues that present-day reality has little to do with myth, even in fragmented form; although it holds that as individuals mature, they may be attracted to various mythic presentations. A systemic orientation, as held by Sabino Acquaviva (The Decline of the Sacred in Industrial Society, Oxford, England: Basil Blackwell, 1979) maintains that sacred beliefs can be integrated into secular society through institutions (eg, the U & the law). Another distinction is observed in priestly & prophetic methodological approaches (eg, to language). Sociologists, who use a combination of theoretical & methodological approaches, need to be aware of the persistence of myth in nonscientific social reality. D. Dunseath.

Recent developments have made many social scientists and commentators wonder whether the United States is still a relatively modern, secular, and democratic society. Instead, America shows signs of the cultural despair that preceded the rise of fascism in Nazi Germany.Taking a careful look at such critical moments as the assassination of John F. Kennedy, the Depression, the assassination of President Lincoln, and the eves both of the Civil War and of the American Revolution, this book shows that Americans have long shown authoritarian and even fascist tendencies: signs of despair that the nation is running out of time. In these critical moments, it finds evidence of a regressive cycle consisting of crisis, followed by the sanctification of central authority, and further crisis.With its deep roots in Anglo-American culture, the current crisis awaits decisive resolution.

Key Thinkers in the Sociology of Religion takes a focused look at the foremost figures in the development of the field. From the groundbreaking work of Max Weber, right up to that of contemporary writers such as Peter Berger and Niklas Luhmann, this volume is an essential companion for the student of sociology of religion. Charting the development of theory in this area, each chapter looks at the life and work of an individual theorist, building to a picture of the field as it is today. Richard Fenn's book provides a route to a rounded understanding of the field, through the thought that defin

Acting ritually: evidence from the social life of Chinese rites / Catherine Bell -- Moralizing sermons, then and now / Thomas Luckmann -- Health, morality and sacrifice: the sociology of disasters / Douglas J. Davies -- Contemporary social theory as it applies to the understanding of religion in cross-cultural perspective / Peter Beyer -- The return of theology: sociology's distant relative / Kieran Flanagan -- Epilogue: toward a secular view of the individual / Richard K. Fenn.