Sociology of Religion - Book Report/Review Example

?Book Review Related to the Sociology of Religion America began its quest for religious tolerance when immigrants from Europe and other countries began to flock to the country after World War I. In this predominantly Protestant country, people who did not belong to the same faith suddenly flooded the communities and left Americans afraid and unable to deal with the sudden surge of varying religions. In order to help deal with the situation, Americans learned how to practice religious tolerance which effectively means that they know how to accept and respect the religious beliefs of other cultures and religions. The American platform of religious tolerance is one that has been highly successful over the past century or so and has led to quite an interesting religious landscape in the country. Such is the uniqueness of the American religious tolerance campaign that authors Robert D. Putnam of Harvard University and David E. Campbell of Notre Dame decided to join forces in order to write “American Grace” ( Wright Robert, “Religious Persuasion”), a book about the growth of religion in America and how it has progressed to its current height of religious tolerance. First reviewed in the New York Times by Robert Wright ( Wright Robert, “Religious Persuasion”) It is interesting to note that the book co-authored by Putnam and Campbell portrays American religious tolerance during an era when the Muslims seem to be targets of religious persecution in America. This persecution is due largely in fact to the historical events of 9/11 and the constant bombardment that the American public receives about the ills of the terrorist ways in relation to their Muslim jihad and the hunt for Bin Laden and his 9/11 cohorts. Knowing the true state of current events pertaining to religion in America leaves one wondering about where the 2 authors got their information that is contained in the book pertaining to religious tolerance and acceptance within the context of the American society. These authors believe that American religion is one that is based upon its long standing tradition of religious coexistence among the largely Christian denomination and chooses to ignore the problems related to the Muslim religion in America. By ignoring the problems that beset the acceptance of Muslim religion in America after the events of 911, the book is able to “properly” discuss the rise of religious tolerance in America. Their book chose to concentrate more on the study of Protestant acceptance of Catholicism in America and the events that led up to the tolerance of the religion in the country. The book itself takes a long hard look at the other emerging religions in America such as the megachurches and one of its most popular sects, Reverend Rick Warren's Saddleback Church. By taking an inside look at such sects, they manage to explore and explain the foundation and development of religious beliefs in America. By studying that and other historical aspects of religious rise in the United States, the Putnam and Campbell also managed to use some questions such as ;” how Protestants came to stress their commonality with Catholics... How do mutual fear, hostility and suspicion give way to amity, or at least tolerance? How do supposedly deep doctrinal chasms recede from view?” ( Wright Robert, “Religious Persuasion”). Authors Putnam and Campbell chose to discuss the rise of religion in American using charts, graphs, narrative vignettes, and other relevant materials throughout the pages of their book. It was not uncommon for the authors to veer into historical territory by presenting historical comparisons alongside participative observations (Torpey. John, “American Grace and Public Sociology”). Qualitative research is painstakingly used to give credence to the qualitative data that the authors present to their readers. Watered down versions are presented in order to make the information easily understandable by those unfamiliar with the concepts being presented in the book. Often times, the authors also refer to the works of other sociologists pertaining to the study of the religious landscape in America in order to present their collated information as objectively as possible. Rather than concentrating on the developing religious divide in America, their book chose instead to look at topics such as the dynamics of conversion to the role of gender, ethnicity, class, and civics in the growth of religious beliefs across the country ( Wright Robert, “Religious Persuasion”). In the process, the authors managed to come up with a cohesive point of view that could point the reader towards the direction that America might be leading itself to in terms of religion in the future. It is important to understand the significance of the sociological approach to American religion because, as our society stands at the moment, religion is both a part of society that has the unique power to either unite or divide our social strata. Using a 30 year baseline comparison of religion and politics, it would appear that people have become more politically conservative as they became more religious over time. While the liberal Americans have proven to be less religious and thus tend to think of their politics as an independent part of their lives that have nothing to do with religion (Torpey. John, “American Grace and Public Sociology”). Having said that, it is important to note that religious has also lost a tremendous amount of influence in relation to the social, political, and civic - oriented thinking of the new generation of Americans. The younger generation do not tend to give religion as much power over their personal beliefs and social lifestyle as the previous generations. In reality, there is a growing trend in America to disassociate the practice of religion with the social and political beliefs of the society. This is perhaps in direct relation to the conservative politics that existed during the era of the Moral Majority, the upheavals of the 1960's, and the growing challenges the churches face in terms of gender acceptance and sexual norms. It is this type of religious-political polarization that has slowly crept into American society which has caused the imperative need to study the sociological approach to American religion. This changing school of thought among the American people has caused a major religious shift as people who view their church in disagreement with their personal beliefs tend to either look for another religion or simply let go of religion altogether as an influencing presence in their lives. It is the fast rise of these “religious nones” (Torpey. John, “American Grace and Public Sociology”) that has added another layer to the importance of the sociological study of religion in America. There is a new generation of Americans that have chosen to not have any religious affiliation, who are slowly redefining the social and political platform of America as we progress into the 21st century. Although the authors made fantastic presentations as to the reasons why America has religious stability in this era of terrorist strife, they ignored the religious divide pertaining to the Muslim religion in America post 9/11. Without that particular study and comparison, the work of Campbell Putnam and Campbell becomes merely a historical analysis rather than a true sociological study of religion in America. Works Cited Torpey, John. “American Grace and Public Sociology”. The Immanent Frame. SSRC. n.d. Web. 20 Feb. 2013. Wright, Robert. “Religious Persuasion”. Sunday Book Review. The New York Times. 8 Oct. 2010. Web. 19 Feb. 2013. Read More