TY - JOUR
T1 - Cultural analysis of religious change and movements
AU - Thomas, George
PY - 1996
Y1 - 1996
N2 - In this article I review a cultural perspective on religion and suggest that cultural analysis resolves current debates over the nature of religion as either collectivist or individualist. I use one type of cultural analysis, institutionalism, to present an interpretive overview of religious change and movements in historical contexts of global instrumental rationality, in particular the expansion of state authority. The usefulness of this approach is revealed in interpreting Protestantism in the United States, Islamic fundamentalism, and movements and trends in global Roman Catholicism. While not reflecting precisely the views of the authors of this collection, this article introduces the studies of the recent restructuring of religion in the United States (Robert Wuthnow), Islamic fundamentalisms in Iran and Syria (Mansoor Moaddel), and global Roman Catholicism (José Casanova).
AB - In this article I review a cultural perspective on religion and suggest that cultural analysis resolves current debates over the nature of religion as either collectivist or individualist. I use one type of cultural analysis, institutionalism, to present an interpretive overview of religious change and movements in historical contexts of global instrumental rationality, in particular the expansion of state authority. The usefulness of this approach is revealed in interpreting Protestantism in the United States, Islamic fundamentalism, and movements and trends in global Roman Catholicism. While not reflecting precisely the views of the authors of this collection, this article introduces the studies of the recent restructuring of religion in the United States (Robert Wuthnow), Islamic fundamentalisms in Iran and Syria (Mansoor Moaddel), and global Roman Catholicism (José Casanova).
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0030485781&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0030485781&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/j.1475-682X.1996.tb00222.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1475-682X.1996.tb00222.x
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0030485781
SN - 0038-0245
VL - 66
SP - 285
EP - 302
JO - Sociological Inquiry
JF - Sociological Inquiry
IS - 3
ER -