The Sociology of Secularization

A Critique of a Concept

Bibliographic Data

ID2514573
AuthorsRuth A Wallace, Peter E Glasner, Peter Glasner
Year1979
Volume18
Issue4
Pages430
Publication date1979-12-01
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal for the Scientific Study of Religion (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0021-8294 • E-ISSN: 1468-5906
PublisherJSTOR (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.2307/1386370
OpenAlexW2037894989
LanguageEN
Citations received10

terms of their professional attitudes' (p. 55). What is average ? I do not know. On a theoretical point, they have totally ignored the debate on professions and see it solely as an 'empirical question' (p. 54). Another apparent flaw is the sample itself. Denominational administrative units were chosen to be representative as to size and extent of urbanization. For some unexplained reason the sample is purposefully over-represented by Anglican and apparently over-represented by Methodist officials. Inter-denominational research is a valid and possible way of examining religious institutions; however, far more consideration must be given to ferreting out the underlying dimensions to the areas of concern for the researcher first so that meaningful comparisons may be made. Sadly this book provides no advance to this problem. Yet it will make interesting, if often misleading, reading for Church people, and sociologists will

Epistemology · Secularization · Social science · Sociology · Sociology of religion · Philosophy · Religion and Society Interactions · Religious studies

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