Robert N. Bellah Book order

In three final essays, Robert N. Bellah grapples with the contradictions of modernity, and seven leading thinkers respond with profound new perspectives on our present predicament.

„Der Ursprung der Religion“ ist Robert N. Bellahs Alterswerk, in dem er mit Erkenntnissen aus Biologie und Evolutionspsychologie untersucht, wie Menschen vom Paläolithikum bis zum ersten Jahrtausend v. Chr. neue Lebensvorstellungen und Gemeinschaftsformen entwickelten. Er analysiert die Entstehung der Weltreligionen in vier Zivilisationen der Achsenzeit.

A New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice An ABC Australia Best Book on Religion and Ethics of the Year Distinguished Book Award, Sociology of Religion Section of the American Sociological Association Religion in Human Evolution is a work of extraordinary ambition—a wide-ranging, nuanced probing of our biological past to discover the kinds of lives that human beings have most often imagined were worth living. It offers what is frequently seen as a forbidden theory of the origin of religion that goes deep into evolution, especially but not exclusively cultural evolution. “Of Bellah’s brilliance there can be no doubt. The sheer amount this man knows about religion is otherworldly...Bellah stands in the tradition of such stalwarts of the sociological imagination as Emile Durkheim and Max Weber. Only one word is appropriate to characterize this book’s subject as well as its substance, and that is ‘magisterial.’” —Alan Wolfe, New York Times Book Review “Religion in Human Evolution is a magnum opus founded on careful research and immersed in the ‘reflective judgment’ of one of our best thinkers and writers.” —Richard L. Wood, Commonweal

A New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice An ABC Australia Best Book on Religion and Ethics of the Year Distinguished Book Award, Sociology of Religion Section of the American Sociological Association Religion in Human Evolution is a work of extraordinary ambition—a wide-ranging, nuanced probing of our biological past to discover the kinds of lives that human beings have most often imagined were worth living. It offers what is frequently seen as a forbidden theory of the origin of religion that goes deep into evolution, especially but not exclusively cultural evolution. “Of Bellah’s brilliance there can be no doubt. The sheer amount this man knows about religion is otherworldly...Bellah stands in the tradition of such stalwarts of the sociological imagination as Emile Durkheim and Max Weber. Only one word is appropriate to characterize this book’s subject as well as its substance, and that is ‘magisterial.’” —Alan Wolfe, New York Times Book Review “Religion in Human Evolution is a magnum opus founded on careful research and immersed in the ‘reflective judgment’ of one of our best thinkers and writers.” —Richard L. Wood, Commonweal

Meanwhile, the authors' antidote to the American sickness—a quest for democratic community that draws on our diverse civic and religious traditions—has contributed to a vigorous scholarly and popular debate. Attention has been focused on forms of social organization, be it civil society, democratic communitarianism, or associative democracy, that can humanize the market and the administrative state. In their new Introduction the authors relate the argument of their book both to the current realities of American society and to the growing debate about the country's future. With this new edition one of the most influential books of recent times takes on a new immediacy.

This landmark exploration of America's "habits of the heart" delves into the traits essential to our national character, highlighting the tension between individualism and the need for community. Based on a comprehensive five-year study of various American communities, the authors reveal that Americans often struggle to articulate moral meaning in their lives, trapped in a vocabulary dominated by individualism. Interviews with a diverse range of individuals—spouses, managers, therapists, business owners, and civic leaders—illustrate the challenges of committing to others in a society that emphasizes personal autonomy, where many feel ultimately alone and solely responsible for their choices. As a reflection of contemporary society, this work provides a thought-provoking perspective on Americans' quest for tradition and meaning. It encourages readers to examine their values and the direction of society, prompting introspection about personal habits and beliefs. The contents include an introduction, discussions on private and public life, and a conclusion focused on transforming American culture, alongside an appendix on social science as public philosophy.