Religions in Global Society

Peter Beyer presents us with a resolutely sociological treatment of the nature and development of religions in a globalizing world. If we want to understand what is happening globally, this is a must read. When we lift our gaze beyond congregational life in Dubuque and wish to understand the larger context, we need to read this book. Beyer begins with a careful outline of the basis of his thinking in the theories of Luhmann, who conceptualizes society as systems of communication. Communication systems have both “range”—the extent to which they are accessible—and “division”—they are divided more or less into self-referential types of discourse. Historical changes in the range and differentiation of communication systems provide the basis for a richly contingent approach to understanding both globalization and localization. An examination of the divisions among communication systems provides a basis for both defining religion and exploring its relationship with other communication systems—economy, family, governance, and so on. Communication systems can be examined without reference to persons, hence the refreshingly sociological approach of this book that brings society back to sociology. This theoretical background is presented in clear language making it available to even the novice at theory.

Context (archaeology) · Division of labour · Epistemology · Gaze · Globalization · Political science · Social science · Sociology · History · Law · Psychology · Religion and Society Interactions

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