Steve Bruce extensively explores the nature of religion in the modern world and its intricate connections with politics. His work delves into how faith operates within contemporary society and shapes political landscapes. Bruce meticulously examines the dynamics between belief and power, offering profound insights into the social and political roles of religion. His writing is characterized by a rigorous, analytical approach grounded in thorough research.
With over 1000 entries on key concepts and theorists, The SAGE Dictionary of Sociology provides full coverage of the field, clarifying the technical use of apparently common words, explaining the fundamentals concepts, and introducing new and unfamiliar terms. A humorous, enjoyable read, this book provides authoritative, reliable definitions; accessible ‘digests’ of key arguments; contemporary, and appealing illustrations of points.
British Gods is a comprehensive survey of the state of religious faith in contemporary Britain, analysing how the status and nature of the different religions has changed since the 1950s and 1960s. Considering the challenges religion faces today from secular and social tensions, it offers a prognosis for the future of religion in Britain.
Since the start of the "Troubles" in Northern Ireland", working class Protestants have used violence and terror to "defend Ulster from traitorous republicans". Despite being responsible for about half the civilian casualties of the present conflict and despite having subverted major political initiatives, the loyalist paramilitary organizations - The Ulster Defence Association, the Ulster Volunteer Force, the Red Hand Commando and others - have been relatively neglected by scholars. This study, based on extensive interviewing of loyalist terrorists, is a comprehensive survey of a group that is central to the Ulster conflict. "The Red Hand" recounts the history of loyalist terorism, analyzes the motives that inform it, examines the political innovations of the terrorists, critically explores claims of security force collusion with loyalist terror, and concludes by arguing that what appear to be unconnected aspects of loyalist paramilitarism can be understood as having common origins in the problems of trying to use terror to defend, rather than to destroy, the state. The primary importance of the book is in filling a large gap in our understanding of the Northern Ireland conflict; its secondary purpose is to extend our understanding of the relationship between terrorism and the modern state.
Drawing on studies of social class, crime and deviance, work in bureaucracies, and changes in religious and political organizations, this Very Short Introduction explores the tension between the individual's role in society and society's role in shaping the individual, and demonstrates the value of sociology as a perspective for understanding the modern world. schovat popis
This book tests the rhetoric with historical and social scientific data, describing and explaining the changing pattern of relations between Catholics and Protestants over the 20th century.
Focusing on the interplay between Protestantism and secularization, this book explores how social, economic, and political transformations have influenced religion in Western Europe. It delves into the essential ideas of the Reformation, highlighting the significance of varying beliefs about authority and their implications for both faith and society. Through this examination, the author provides insights into the evolving role of religion amidst modern changes.
In this book, first published in 1990, the significance of televangelism in America is examined in detail. This well-informed, measured analysis includes discussion of the place of televangelism in the history of American Protestantism; the styles of leading TV preachers and the televangelical star system; the relation of televangelism to conservatism and politics. It also answers the questions of televangelism's organisation and audience, as well as providing an analysis over the wave of scandals which swept over Pray TV in the 1980s.
Na základě sociologických teorií, které se zabývají společenskými vrstvami, kriminalitou a deviantním chováním obecně, fungováním byrokracie nebo změnami v politických a náboženských organizacích, nechává autor čtenáře nahlédnout do vztahů a vazeb, jež existují mezi jedincem a společností. Z pohledu sociologie - jako regulérní disciplíny z oboru sociálních věd srozumitelně osvětluje roli jedince ve společnosti a zároveň roli společnosti na utváření sociální identity každého člověka. Touto cestou současně demonstruje přínos sociologického pohledu na společenskou realitu pro porozumění a chápání moderního světa.
