Rediscovering the Sacred

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This is a print on demand book and is therefore non- returnable. Claiming that modern interest in the sacred remains constant over time but that the sacred continually manifests itself in changing forms, Wuthnow examines the main theoretical approaches toward religion that have emerged of late in the social sciences, and he shows how these approaches have moved away from the idea of linear secularization and can help explain the changing character and shifting location of the sacred in modern society. Kevin J. Christiano —University of Notre Dame
"Few would deny that Robert Wuthnow is one of the foremost interpreters of religion in American sociology. In this book he demonstrates with deceptive ease how that reputation was acquired. By explaining clearly and extending creatively the often dense and limited writings of modern social theorists, Wuthnow leads readers toward rediscovering the significance of the sacred in today's world. Professors of religion — in both sense of that term — ultimately will be encouraged to approach their subject in novel and less rigid ways. Wuthnow's new book is thus a much-needed work of service every bit as much as it is an important academic achievement."
John F. Wilson —Princeton University
"Robert Wuthnow at his most engaging. He directs attention to the rich vein of social-science theorizing about religion, insisting that its payoff must be a fuller understanding of everyday life. Reviewing the last generation of scholarship, Wuthnow charts a program of research and interpretation for the next. Rediscovering the Sacred makes recent sociology of religion accessible to general readers who are privileged to be party to a virtual conversation among the specialists." Robert Wuthnow is the Gerhard R. Andlinger Professor of Social Sciences and director of the Center for the Study of American Religion, Princeton University. His numerous books include The Restructuring of American Religion, Rediscovering the Sacred, and Christianity in the 21st Century.

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