TY - JOUR AU - Wortham, Robert PY - 2010/04/26 Y2 - 2024/03/28 TI - Sociology of Religion JF - TRAILS: Teaching Resources and Innovations Library for Sociology JA - TRAILS VL - IS - SE - DO - UR - https://trails.asanet.org/article/view/sociology-of-religion-wortham SP - AB - Religion may be studied from a variety of interpretive perspectives ranging from a study of its historical, ethical and theological dimensions to its social, psychological and anthropological contexts. In this course religion is treated as a social institution that influences society and is influenced by society. Religion is viewed as an agent of social change and as a mechanism of social control. Throughout this course students are invited to engage in a sociological analysis of the U.S. religious economy. Issues addressed include: major theoretical paradigms employed in the sociological analysis of religion, congregational analysis, religious socialization, religiosity measures, "Baby Boomer" religion, racial and gender differences in religiosity, religion and social structure, the sociology of the Black Church, secularization and the ecological analysis of the U.S. religious economy. ER -