Gods in the Global Village: The World's Religions in Sociological Perspective: World's Religions in a Sociological Perspective (Sociology for a New Century Series) Book

Gods in a Global Village responds to the multicultural interests of today's diverse student population by treating classic issues in the sociology of religion - rituals, beliefs, ethics, secularization, religious conflict - in a variety of religious contexts. Lester Kurtz gives students the tools they need to understand religious life in today's world, first by considering the manifold global interconnections among beliefs and believers (as well as among those who oppose them), and second by introducing students to the fundamentals of each of the world religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam.With this knowledge base established, the book goes on to help students understand the interplay between social change and religion, addressing such questions as why modernization seems accompanied by renewed religious conflicts or why, in a society like ours, which is characterized by separation of church or state, religion continues to be one of the fault lines dividing Americans from each other. As provocative as it is informative, Gods in a Global Village will spark heated discussions and careful re-examination of some of our conventional understanding about the role of religion in the modern and postmodern world. Read More