The Faith of the Fathers
On the Christianity of Early American Sociology
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 4886846 |
|---|---|
| Authors | William H Swatos (St. Ann's Episcopal Church, corresponding author) |
| Year | 1983 |
| Volume | 44 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 33 |
| Publication date | 1983-01-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Sociological Analysis (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0038-0210 • E-ISSN: 2325-7873 |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press (OUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.2307/3711657 |
| OpenAlex | W2471949659 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
| References cited | 37 |
The early development of American sociology is often discussed in the context of late nineteenth-century Protestantism, with the implication that in these years sociology was a part of this organizational-institutional nexus. This essay argues that it is more accurate to interpret this aspect of sociology's history as related to general trends in American religion as a socio-cultural system, but distinct from any specific program within the Protestant tradition. While sociology may be discussed as a gnostic reform movement within American society and hence as having a religious character, it is a mistake to elaborate this into documentation of a positive relationship between sociology and normative Protestantism. Early American sociology offered an empirically-based (i.e., scientific) effort to save the world by reforming its ills through the discovery and application of “objective” truth. This approach rejected both Marx and Jesus as they were then generally understood as sources for solving social problems (as well as for understanding the social problem), and instead embraced a modified Comtean scheme for positive action
Context (archaeology) · Epistemology · Faith · Historical sociology · Nexus (standard) · Normative · Political science · Protestantism · Social science · Sociology · Sociology of knowledge · Sociology of religion · American History and Culture · Contemporary Sociological Theory and Practice · History · Law · Philosophy · Religious Studies and Spiritual Practices
A religious history of the American people
Science as a Vocation
The Letters of Albion W. Small to Lester F. Ward
American Conservatism in the Age of Enterprise
Founding Theory of American Sociology, 1881-1915
Sociology and Theology
Christianity and Social Science
Sociology and the Rise of Corporate Capitalism
Albion W. Small
Naturalism and the Pioneers of American Sociology
The new science of politics
Class and American Sociology
Seventy Years of It
The Development of Sociology and the Social Gospel in America
Professionalization of Sociology
Fifty Years of Sociology in the United States
The Professional Ideology of Social Pathologists
Protestantism in the Present World-Situation
Christianity and Industry
Lester Frank Ward
The Social Origin of Theology
The Church and the City Community
Sociology in Normal Schools
The Redemption of the Unfit
Sociology and Theism
Sociological Significance of the Bible
The Church as the Maker of Conscience
The Christian Church and Social Unity
The Social Function of the Church
The Significance of the Church to the Social Movement
The Meaning of the Social Movement
The Sociologists' Point of View
The Stake of the Church in the Social Movement
The Function of the Church
The Ideals of Social Reformers
The Place of Sociology Among the Sciences
The Era of Sociology
| Unique citing works | 3 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,21 |
| Citation span | 2012 - 2025 (14) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 2 |