The sociology of religion: a substantive and transdisciplinary approach

Cover; Table of Contents; Preface; Introduction; Chapter 1 -- Theory; Chapter 2 -- A Sociological History of Religion; Chapter 3 -- Superstition and the Supernatural; Chapter 4 -- Religious Adaptation; Chapter 5 -- Religious Intolerance and Aggression; Chapter 6 -- Evil; Chapter 7 -- Cults; Chapter 8 -- Emergent Religion: The Examples of Neopaganism and New Evangelicalism; Chapter 9 -- Religion and the Forces of Globalization; Chapter 10 -- Religion Beyond Religion: Sacredness, Mystery, and Faith in Other Contexts; References and Further Reading; Index; About the Author.

Most Sociology of Religion texts are decidedly staid and uninteresting, covering "contemporary" developments which are only contemporary only from a disciplinary perspective. They are not contemporary if viewed from the perspective of the religion's practioners (in religious and non-religious settings). The textbooks that attempt to be interesting to undergraduate students often fall short because they either try to cover too much in an encyclopedic format, or sacrifice a sociological perspective for a personal one. Many use real-life examples only superficially to illustrate concepts.