Human Rights and Religion: A Sociological Perspective

This essay aims to review mainstream literature and research perspectives on the sociology of human rights with the further focus on relationship between human rights and religion. We consider the challenges of late engagement of sociology with human rights and current narratives of the relationship of human rights and religion that encompass normativity as the central category of historically oriented sociology. We discuss the contribution of two empirical research mainstreams on human rights and religion and focus on a new field of study—sociology of religious freedom. A detailed new agenda for sociological research on human rights and religion is explored in the final part of our assessment.     

Two Sociological Approaches to Religion in Modern Britain

This article compares the approach adopted by two recent sociological accounts of religion in modern Britain (by Bruce and Davie). Attention is drawn in broad terms to the parallels between sociological and religious approaches, and a contrast made specifically between a sociology of religion cast in terms of a narrative of decline and diversity (or an account of the place of religion in the perspective of modernity), and one that pays primary attention to indigenous patterns of meaning. Conclusions are drawn as to the limitations of method and apprehension of the one approach, and the openness and potential for comparison of the other.     

Two Sociological Approaches to Religion in Modern Britain

This article compares the approach adopted by two recent sociological accounts of religion in modern Britain (by Bruce and Davie). Attention is drawn in broad terms to the parallels between sociological and religious approaches, and a contrast made specifically between a sociology of religion cast in terms of a narrative of decline and diversity (or an account of the place of religion in the perspective of modernity), and one that pays primary attention to indigenous patterns of meaning. Conclusions are drawn as to the limitations of method and apprehension of the one approach, and the openness and potential for comparison of the other.     

Religion and Science: The Embodiment of the Conversation: A Postmodern Sociological Perspective

In this paper I present a model of analysis of religion and science as forms of social construction of knowledge from the perspective of postmodern sociology. Numerous works have been recently published on the possible relations between religion and science. Most authors address this relationship from the perspectives of theology, philosophy, or selected disciplines of natural sciences (Ian Barbour, John Haught, John Polkinghorne). My goal is to add to that discussion a voice from the perspective of social sciences, specifically postmodern sociology. The model I propose brings the religion-science conversation down to earth, that is, to the level of people who "live" religion and science on a daily basis. The theoretical frame-work for my analysis of religion and science and of their relationship is constructed on the basis of selected works of leading postmodern sociologists Zygmunt Bauman, Anthony Giddens, and Piotr Sztompka. I begin with a brief summary of the basic ontological and methodological presuppositions of the postmodern approach to reality. This summary is followed by a clarification of meanings of certain concepts that are crucial for the understanding of my model. Then, I present the model of analysis of religion and science and, finally, make some suggestions for sociology of religion and sociology of science that might open new opportunities and challenges for future research of the interface between religion and science in the postmodern culture.     

Implicit Religion: A Contemporary Theory for the Relationships between Religion,State, and Society

This article demonstrates that the term ‘implicit religion’ provides an effective way to explore some of the philosophies and ideologies common to church, state, and society and to explain the mutual influence of traditional religion, civil religion, and folk religion in the creation of a national identity. Examples of church–state interactions from three continents are provided and variations in the definition of a national church are discussed. The effect of these variations on cross-cultural studies in religion, state, and society are assessed. The article concludes by examining the potential of the construct of implicit religion for bridging the different historical and cultural understandings of religion.     

Religion in the Twenty-First-Century World Society

This article presents the main theoretical approaches to the religious phenomenon: functionalism, constructivism, civil religion, invisible religion, diffused religion, rational choice, vicarious religion, and so on. It is difficult to accumulate empirical data that in general are considered too weak. The state of the art of sociology of religion seems promising because of the presence of new generations of sociologists who are deeply involved in their work. For the future a specific theory on migration mobility is necessary. Another necessity is a wider development of qualitative analysis for a better knowledge of religious dynamics.     

Ways of Studying Religion,Spirituality, and Aging: The Social Scientific Approach

SUMMARY

This paper presents an overview of methods of research most commonly used in research in the field of aging, religion and spirituality. It discusses the reasons for doing research and the applicability of findings to practice, providing a guide to practitioners in becoming discerning consumers of research in this field. The paper also provides examples of research in this field, using both quantitative and qualitative methods.     

梁漱溟的宗教社会思想

梁漱溟一生竭力复兴中国文化的合理价值,努力重构儒学体系向现代形态转变,他以一种宗教式的超越气度,带着一种救世主的姿态,思考整个人类的关怀和中国社会的危机,试图重建新的价值体系与意义世界来回应西方文化的挑战,提出了著名的"文化三路向"说,其宗教社会思想是他对中国以及整个人类未来命运思考的结果.他认为中国没有系统宗教,儒学非宗教,但她发挥了类似于宗教的作用,维系中国社会秩序稳定运转.     

Mortal Body,Studying Lives: Restoring Eros to the Psychology of Religion

Implications of the complicity of the psychology of religion in the post- modern condition of knowledge are countered by an argument that the body should be given more account in this field of research. Such an emphasis is exemplified by the work of Henry Murray, who himself located his research somewhere between biology (science) and literature (art) (Murray, 1938, p. 607). A revival of Murray's emphasis suggests that embodied knowledge de- rives not from the study of individuals' meanings in living but their needs and acts, which together articulate two laws of the mortal body namely, the turnover of generations (mortality-natality) and gender complementarity (sexuality). Specific accounting for these laws in the study of lives (e.g., biography, autobiography) will restore eros-or an aspiration to higher value-to the psychology of religion: How do subjects construe their pasts and futures and their changing location in temporality? How do subjects link themselves to their pasts and futures in terms of overall strategies and practical tactics for living in the present? Such an accounting also will make the psychology of re- ligion an inherently soteriological enterprise for researchers.