About this item
A groundbreaking new theory of religionReligion remains an important influence in the world today, yet the social sciences are still not adequately equipped to understand and explain it. This book builds on recent developments in science, theory, and philosophy to advance an innovative theory of religion that goes beyond the problematic theoretical paradigms of the past.Drawing on the philosophy of critical realism and personalist social theory, Christian Smith answers key questions about the nature, powers, workings, appeal, and future of religion. He defines religion in a way that resolves myriad problems and ambiguities in past accounts, explains the kinds of causal influences religion exerts in the world, and examines the key cognitive process that makes religion possible.
About the Author
Christian Smith is the William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Sociology at the University of Notre Dame. He is the author of many books, including What is a Person? : Rethinking Humanity, Social Life, and the Moral Good from the Person Up (Chicago 201) ; Passing the Plate: Why American Christians Do Not Give Away More Money (OUP 2008) ; Soul Searching: the Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers (OUP 2005) , Winner of the 2005 "Distinguished Book Award" from Christianity Today; and Moral, Believing Animals: Human Personhood and Culture (OUP 2003) .
