Sociology 525 Sociology of Religion

SOC 525 Sociology of Religion

Fall 2008 John Hoffmann 2002 JFSB 2039 JFSB Mon 9:00 – 11:30 a.m. Tel. 422-9298 Office hours: MW 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. [email protected]

Texts: Most of the articles are available through the BYU library’s electronic services (e.g., JSTOR) and I will post many of them on the course Blackboard site. The following books are also available in the BYU bookstore and should be easy to get through a used book service (e.g., Amazon, AbeBooks, Alibris): Durkheim, Emile. 1995. The Elementary Forms of Religious Life. New York: Free Press. Malinowski, Bronislaw. 1992. Magic, Science and Religion. Prospect Heights, IL: Waveland Press. Freud, Sigmund. 1989. The Future of An Illusion. New York: W.W. Norton. Otto, Rudolph. 1958. The Idea of the Holy. New York: Oxford University Press. Weber, Max. 1993. The Sociology of Religion. Boston: Beacon Press.

Prerequisite: The formal prerequisite listed in the graduate catalog is Soc 111 and 325. However, I do not strictly enforce this. Although you might be slightly better served by having completed a preliminary course, I assume that students have had little or no exposure to sociology of religion theory or research. However, I do expect students to be well-informed about basic sociological principles and social science research methods.

Course Description: This course provides students with a theoretical background for understanding basic relationships between religion and society, including religious organizations, beliefs, and practices, and other areas of social life. It is guided by principles attributed to German philosopher Max Müller (“He [she] who knows only one religion knows none”) and Sir Francis Bacon (“Depth of philosophy [sociology] bringeth men’s [women’s] minds about to religion”). An advantage that most of you have is your heavy exposure to at least one religion; the key is to consider your experiences in light of what others, many of whom have spent considerable parts of their lives thinking about this issue, have said about religion and society. We begin the semester by covering several of the “classic” texts in the sociology of religion. In the interests of time and parsimony, we do not cover some key thinkers (e.g., Troeltsch, Simmel, Parsons), but we will consider several major figures. After a careful assessment of these texts, we move to a discussion of various issues: Religious organizations, secularization, rational choice theories, religious influences on attitudes and behaviors, conversion and switching, feminist thought, and new religious movements.

I have found that seminars cannot be successful unless we have all read the material and thought about it carefully. Therefore, you are expected to read all the assigned material before coming to class. To help facilitate this preparation, each of you should prepare at least two questions/discussion points about each article or chapter. Although we won’t have time to consider each of your questions/points, we will have plenty of material to ponder and discuss.

Grades: Your final grade is based on class attendance/participation, a paper, and a final exam. The paper is discussed below. Class attendance/participation includes, in addition to regular attendance and participation, the requirement that each class member take the lead for at least one class period. This means that you will facilitate the class discussion. Facilitators are encouraged to read at least two or three additional articles on the particular topic. Please consult with me about your choice of supplementary articles. We will schedule our facilitators early in the semester. Class attendance/participation/facilitation will count for 15% of your final grade. The final will be a “take-home” essay-type exam designed to evaluate your understanding of the material. It will consist of three or four questions. I will distribute it during the last scheduled class period and it will be due during exam week. The exam will count for 35% of your final grade.

Paper: You are required to write a final paper on a specific topic in the sociology of religion. I strongly recommend that you meet with me early in the semester to discuss your paper. I am open to a breadth of ideas, as long as they are well developed theoretically. Empirical pieces are fine as long as they are theoretically grounded. The final paper is due by December 18, 2008. It will count for 50% of your final grade.

The papers should be formatted to conform to the guidelines of the American Sociological Association. For information on style and formatting refer to the following publication: American Sociological Association. 1997. Style Guide, Second Edition. Washington, DC: Author. Recent issues of ASA journals (e.g., American Sociological Review; Journal of Health and Social Behavior) also provide brief style guides.

The grading scale for the course is 94-100%: A; 90-93%: A-; 87-89%: B+; 82-86%: B; 75-81%: B-.

Honor code: While all students sign the honor code, there are still specific skills most students need to master over time to correctly cite sources, especially in this new age of the internet; as well as deal with the stress and strain of college life without resorting to cheating. Please know that as your professor I will notice instances of cheating on exams or plagiarizing on papers. See http://www.byu.edu/honorcode for specific examples of intentional, inadvertent plagiarism, and fabrication or falsification.

Class Schedule

Date Topic

9/8 Course Overview, Introduction, and Scheduling

Durkheim and the Social Functions of Religion Readings: Durkheim, Emile. 1995. The Elementary Forms of Religious Life. Translated by Karen Fields. New York: Free Press. Introduction, Book 1 (Chapter 1), 9/15 Book 3 (Chapter 1) & Conclusion. Bellah, Robert. 1991. “Civil Religion in America.” Chapter 9 in Beyond Belief. University of California Press.

The Functions of Religion: Debating a Classic Concept Readings: Malinowski, Bronislaw. 1992. Magic, Science and Religion. Prospect Heights, IL: Waveland Press. Chapters 1-5. 9/22 Freud, Sigmund. 1989. The Future of An Illusion. New York: W.W. Norton. Otto, Rudolph. 1958. The Idea of the Holy. New York: Oxford University Press. Chapters 1-6.

2 Culture and Religion I: Weber’s Theodicy and Salvation 9/29 Reading: Weber, Max. 1993. The Sociology of Religion. Boston: Beacon Press. Chapters 1-3, 9-12.

Culture and Religion II: Symbols and Stories Readings: Geertz, Clifford. 1973. “Religion as a Cultural System.” In The Interpretation of Cultures. New York: Basic Books. Chapter 4. 10/6 Wuthnow, Robert. 1992. “The Cultural Dimension.” Chapter 2 in Redis- covering the Sacred. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans. Greeley, Andrew. 1996. Religion as Poetry. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction. Chapter 3.

Religion as Opposition and Evolution Readings: Elster, Jon. 1986. “The Marxist Critique of Ideology.” Chapter 9 in Introduction to Karl Marx. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 10/13 Marx, Karl, and Friedrich Engels. 1982. Various sections from On Religion. Chico, CA: Scholars Press. Bellah, Robert. 1964. “Religious Evolution.” American Sociological Review 29:358-374.

Religious Organizations: Church and Sect Readings: Johnson, Benton. 1963. “On Church and Sect.” American Sociological Review 10/20 28:539-549. Stark, Rodney, and William Sims Bainbridge. 1985. The Future of Religion. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. Chapters 5 & 7.

Secularization Readings: Swatos, William H., and Kevin J. Christiano. 1999. “Secularization Theory: 10/27 The Course of a Concept.” Sociology of Religion 60:209-228. Stark, Rodney. 1999. “Secularization, R.I.P.” Sociology of Religion 60:249- 273.

Rational Choice Theory Readings: Iannaccone, Laurence. 1997. “Rational Choice: Framework for the Scientific Study of Religion.” Chapter 2 in Rational Choice Theory and Religion, edited 11/3 by Lawrence Young. New York: Routledge. Spickard, James V. 1998. “Rethinking Religious Social Action: What is ‘Rational’ about Rational Choice Theory?” Sociology of Religion 59:99-115.

Religious Economies: Supply-Side Arguments Readings: Stark, Rodney, and Roger Finke. 2000. “A Theoretical Model of Religious Economies.” Chapter 8 in Acts of Faith. Berkeley, CA: University of 11/10 California Press. Chaves, Mark, and Phillip Gorski. 2001. “Religious Pluralism and Religious Participation.” Annual Review of Sociology 27:261-281.

3 Religion’s Effects on Attitudes and Behaviors Readings: Sherkat, Darren, and Christopher G. Ellison. 1997. “The Cognitive Structure of a Moral Crusade.” Social Forces 75:957-982. Hoffmann, John P., and Stephen Bahr. 2005. “Religion and Deviance.” 11/17 Pp.241-263 in Handbook on Religion and Social Institutions, edited by Helen Rose Ebaugh. New York: Springer. Seybold, Kevin S., and Peter C. Hill. 2001. “The Role of Religion and Spirituality in Mental and Physical Health.” Current Directions in Psychological Science 10:21-24.

Conversion and Religious Switching Readings: Sherkat, Darren, and John Wilson. 1995. “Preferences, Constraints and Choices in Religious Markets.” Social Forces 73:993-1026. 11/24 Smith, Christian, and David Sikkink. 2003. “Social Predictors of Retention in and Switching from the Religious Faith of Family of Origin: Another Look Using Religious Tradition Self-Identification.” Review of Religious Research 45:188-206.

Gender and Religion Readings: Neitz, Mary Jo. 2004. “Gender and Culture: Challenges to the Sociology of 12/1 Religion.” Sociology of Religion 65:391-402. Bartkowski, John, and Je’nan Read. 2003. “Veiled Submission: Gender, Power, and Identity.” Qualitative Sociology 26:71-92.

New Religious Movements Readings: Stark, Rodney. 1996. “Why Religious Movements Succeed or Fail.” Journal 12/8 of Contemporary Religion 11:133-146. Dawson, Lorne. 2001. “The Cultural Significance of New Religious Movements.” Sociology of Religion 62:337-364.

Additional items: Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972 prohibits sex discrimination against any participant in an educational program or activity that receives federal funds. The act is intended to elimination sex discrimination in education. Title IX covers discrimination in programs, admissions, activities, and student-to- student sexual harassment. BYU’s policy against sexual harassment extends not only to employees of the university but to students as well. If you encounter unlawful sexual harassment or gender based discrimination, please talk to your professor; contact the Equal Employment Office, D-282 ASB, at 422-5895 or 367-5689 (24 hours); or contact the Honor Code Office (4440 WSC) at 422-2847.

Brigham Young University is committed to providing a working and learning environment that accommodates qualified persons with disabilities. If you have any disability that may impair your ability to complete this course successfully, please contact the University Accessibility Center, 1520 WSC (422-2767) (422-0436, TTY/TDD Direct Line). Reasonable academic accommodations are reviewed for all students who have qualified documented disabilities. Services are coordinated with the student and instructor by the UAC office. If you need assistance or if you think you have been unlawfully discriminated against on the basis of disability, you may seek resolution through established grievance policy and procedures. You should contact the Equal Employment Office at 422- 5895, D-282 ASB.

4 An important reminder: “…miracle[s] can happen and will happen when there is kindness, respect, and love. Why do any of us have to be so mean and unkind to others? Why can’t all of us reach out in friendship to everyone about us? Why is there so much bitterness and animosity? It is not a part of the gospel of Jesus Christ. …There is no end to the good we can do, to the influence we can have with others. Let us not dwell on the critical or the negative.” (President Gordon B. Hinckley, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)