The Routledge International Handbook of Sociology and Christianity examines the intersection of the sociology of religion – a long-standing focus of sociology as a discipline – and Christianity – the world’s largest religion. An internationally representative and thematically comprehensive collection, it analyzes both the sociology of Christianity and Christian approaches to sociology, with attention to the Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant branches of Christianity. An authoritative, state-of-the-art review of current research, it is organized into five inter-connected thematic sections, considering the overlapping emergence of both the Christian religion and the social science, the conceptualization of and engagement with Christianity by sociological theory, the ways in which Christianity shapes and is shaped by various social institutions, the manner in which Christianity resists and promotes various forms of social change, and the identification, diagnosis, and correction of social problems by sociology and Christianity. This volume is an invaluable collection for scholars and advanced students, with special appeal for those working in the fields of sociology and social theory, as well as religious studies and theology
Introduction to Part 1: The History of Christianity and Sociology PART 1: The History of Christianity and Sociology 1. Civilizational Analysis in Historical Sociology: Christianity in World History 2. Sociological Perspectives on First Century Christianity 3. Sociological Perspectives on Eastern Christianity 4. Saint-Simonism and the Triumph of Comte’s Vision of Sociology 5. Classical Sociology of Religion and Christianity 6. A Social History of Christofascism 7. The Social Gospel in America Introduction to Part 2: Contemporary Sociological Theory and Christianity PART 2: Contemporary Sociological Theory and Christianity 8. Christianity from the Perspective of Sociological Systems Theory 9. Pierre Bourdieu’s Sociology of Religion and Christianity 10. The Spatial Turn in the Study of Religion 11. Sociology, Christianity, and Critical Realism 12. Collectivism, Individualism, and Christianity 13. (Post-)critical Sociology and Christian Discourse: Toward a Meta-Dialogue 14. Decoloniality: The Future of Christian Sociology Introduction to Part 3: Social Institutions and Christianity PART 3: Social Institutions and Christianity 15. Current Research on Religious Socialization 16. Christian Legalities and Community 17. Christianities and Socialisms 18. Implications of Christianity on Trade Unionism 19. The Chaplaincy of the Nigerian Army 20. Family Theory Through a Social Theological Lens 21. Contemporary Christian Popular Music and Worship Music Introduction to Part 4: Social Change and Christianity PART 4: Social Change and Christianity 22. Poverty in Working Classes and Christian Social Movements in Britain 23. Black Christianity and Black Liberation Movements 24. Religion and Migration in Postcolonial Africa and the Diaspora 25. Populism and the Catholic Church: A Global Comparison 26. Peacebuilding in Fragile and War-Torn Societies 27. The Construction of Online Christian Sacred Places during the COVID-19 Pandemic 28. The Globalization of Public Religion in Countries of Catholic Tradition Introduction to Part 5: Applied Sociology and Christianity PART 5: Applied Sociology and Christianity 29. Applied and Clinical Sociology: A Christian Perspective 30. The Relevance of Christian Ethics to the Ethics of Care 31. Christianity and Human Rights 32. The Role of Culture in Shaping Definitions of Human Trafficking 33. Faith on the Ballot, Faith in the Ballot: The Democratic Process in Kenya 34. The Dynamics of Marriage Payments among Christian Communities in India 35. COVID-19 and Christianity: Entry Points for Social Policy in Zimbabwe
Dennis Hiebert is a semi-retired professor of sociology teaching at the University of Manitoba, Canada, with special interest in public sociology. He is Past President of the Christian Sociological Association, current editor of the Journal of Sociology and Christianity and the author, most recently, of Rationality, Humility, and Spirituality in Christian Life.
