Encylopaedia of Sociology of Religion

Sociology of religion is concerned with explaining religion as a social institution. The roles that beliefs and practices of religion play in the regulation of social relationships and the various ways in which religion emerges as the strongest motivating factor effecting human behaviour. The part played by religion in revolutionary social movements in precipitating large scale social action, including war, as also the ways religion influences day to day social behaviours all fall within the gambit of Sociology of Religion. The Encyclopaedia of Sociology of Religion brings together path-breaking contributions from leading specialists on all important areas, including also the new trends of research in the broad field of Sociology. Special care has been taken to include articles, arranged thematically in three successive volumes, which cover all important understanding of the different concepts of Religious life in the civilization of world, A Sense of Religion, Durkheim’s attitude to traditional religions. The Invasion of Religion by Science, the New Religion, Religion and Politics, Religion and Social Stratification, Religious Collectivities, Gods, Magicians and Priests and so on. The process of Mythologization and Demythologization, The Universalist Thesis, The Concept of Seva in Indian Religion have also received very adequate attention. The work also includes the study of the process of politicization of religions, sects, and monastic order. Apart from the mapping of diversity, the nature of continuity between ‘tribal primitivism’ and ‘folk’ or popular Hindusim as well as the contrast between tribal religion and the philosophical traditions in world, religion and with special contrast to the Indian religion, which were the main theoretical interests of the scholars, has been also included in this Encyclopaedia. The other major gaps in research areas which are usually not taken into account, have also received attention:
1. Study of religion in relation to class stratification.
2. How the different social strata and segments are involved in the social organization.
3. Sociology of inter-religious conflict and integration.
4. Study of religion-based world views of the tribals and the peasants.
5. Sociology of sects.
6. Linkage of the emerging political leadership with religions and cults.
7. Relation of religion with different dimension: science and technology and political modernization.
8. Role of religion in social revitalization.
9. Role of religion in the traditional pursuits of excellence.
10. The uniqueness of the work lies not in its complicability but rather in its vividity, social and practical applicability and relevancy of the subject.