RT Book
T1 Religion: what it is, how it works, and why it matters
A1 Smith, Christian 1960-
LA English
PP Princeton Oxford
PB Princeton University Press
YR 2019
ED First paperback printing
UL https://ixtheo.de/Record/1666330345
AB Introduction --What is religion? --What causal powers does religion produce? --How does religion work? --Why are humans religious? --What is religion's future? --Conclusion --Appendix: Research questions.
AB "Religion remains an important influence in the world today, yet the social sciences are still not adequately equipped to understand and explain it. This book advances an innovative theory of religion that goes beyond the problematic theoretical paradigms of the past. Drawing on the philosophy of critical realism and personalist social theory, Christian Smith explores why humans are religious in the first place—uniquely so as a species—and offers an account of secularization and religious innovation and persistence that breaks the logjam in which religious scholarship has been stuck for so long. Certain to stimulate debate and inspire promising new avenues of scholarship, Religion features a wealth of illustrations and examples that help to make its concepts accessible to readers. This superbly written book brings sound theoretical thinking to a perennially thorny subject, and a new vitality and focus to its study."
NO Includes bibliographical references and index
CN BL48
SN 9780691191645
SN 0691191646
K1 Religion