(Un)Believing in Modern Society: Religion, Spirituality, and Religious-Secular Competition [Paperback]

This landmark study in the sociology of religion sheds new light on the question of what has happened to religion and spirituality since the 1960s in modern societies. Exposing several analytical weaknesses of today's sociology of religion, (Un)Believing in Modern Society presents a new theory of religious-secular competition and a new typology of ways of being religious/secular. The authors draw on a specific European society (Switzerland) as their test case, using both quantitative and qualitative methodologies to show how the theory can be applied. Identifying four ways of being religious/secular in a modern society: 'institutional', 'alternative', 'distanced' and 'secular' they show how and why these forms have emerged as a result of religious-secular competition and describe in what ways all four forms are adapted to the current, individualized society.

Preface; Introduction: religion and spirituality in the me-society, J?rg Stolz and Judith K?nemann; A theory of religious-secular competition, J?rg Stolz and Judith K?nemann; Four forms of (un)belief, J?rg Stolz and Mallory Schneuwly-Purdie; Identity and social structure, J?rg Stolz and Mallory Schneuwly-Purdie; Belief, knowledge, experience, action, Mallory Schneuwly Purdie and J?rg Stolz; Values and change of values, J?rg Stolz and Thomas Englberger; Major churches, evangelical churches and alternative-spiritual suppliers, J?rg Stolz and Thomas Englberger; The perception and evaluation of religion(s), J?rg Stolz and Thomas Englberger; The change in religiosity, spirituality and secularity, J?rg Stolz, Thomas Englberger, Michael Kr?ggeler, Judith K?nemann and Mallory Schneuwly Purdie; Conclusion: (un)believing in modern society, J?rg Stolz and Judith K?nemann; Appendix;

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