- "Sociology of religion is the study of the beliefs, practices, and organizational forms of religion using the tools and methods of the discipline of sociology."
The study of religion on a global scale, including its impact on culture, politics, and society.
Religious Traditions: Introduction to various religious traditions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and their key beliefs and practices.
Religious Diversity: Understanding religious diversity and pluralism, and how different religions coexist and interact with each other in different societies.
Religion and Society: Exploring the relationship between religion and society, and how religion influences and is influenced by social, political, and economic factors.
Religion and Culture: Examining the role of religion in shaping culture, including art, music, literature, and architecture, and how culture reflects religious beliefs and practices.
Religion and Ethics: Studying the ethical frameworks and moral values that different religions promote, and how these impact individuals and societies.
Religious Texts: Reading and analyzing religious texts and scriptures, and exploring how they shape religious beliefs and practices.
Religious Symbols and Rituals: Examining religious symbols, rituals, and traditions, and their significance in expressing and reinforcing religious beliefs and practices.
Religion and Politics: Analyzing the role of religion in politics, including the influence of religious institutions and leaders, and how political decisions are influenced by religious beliefs.
Religion and Globalization: Understanding the impact of globalization on religion, and how religion adapts and evolves in a globalized world.
- "This objective investigation may include the use both of quantitative methods (surveys, polls, demographic and census analysis) and of qualitative approaches (such as participant observation, interviewing, and analysis of archival, historical and documentary materials)."
- "Émile Durkheim's 1897 study of suicide rates among Catholic and Protestant populations, a foundational work of social research which served to distinguish sociology from other disciplines, such as psychology."
- "The works of Karl Marx and Max Weber emphasized the relationship between religion and the economic or social structure of society."
- "Contemporary debates have centered on issues such as secularization, civil religion, and the cohesiveness of religion in the context of globalization and multiculturalism."
- "The sociology of religion is distinguished from the philosophy of religion in that it does not set out to assess the validity of religious beliefs."
- "The process of comparing multiple conflicting dogmas may require what Peter L. Berger has described as inherent 'methodological atheism'."
- "Whereas the sociology of religion broadly differs from theology in assuming indifference to the supernatural..."
- "Theorists tend to acknowledge socio-cultural reification of religious practice."
- "The study of the beliefs, practices, and organizational forms of religion using the tools and methods of the discipline of sociology."
- "Quantitative methods (surveys, polls, demographic and census analysis) and qualitative approaches (such as participant observation, interviewing, and analysis of archival, historical and documentary materials)."
- "Émile Durkheim's 1897 study of suicide rates among Catholic and Protestant populations."
- "The relationship between religion and the economic or social structure of society."
- "Secularization, civil religion, and the cohesiveness of religion in the context of globalization and multiculturalism."
- "It does not set out to assess the validity of religious beliefs."
- "Broadly differs from theology in assuming indifference to the supernatural."
- "Inherent 'methodological atheism' described by Peter L. Berger."
- "Theorists tend to acknowledge socio-cultural reification of religious practice."
- "Using the tools and methods of the discipline of sociology."
- "Both quantitative methods and qualitative approaches are utilized."