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Social scientists sometimes seem not to know what to do with religion.In the first century of sociology's history as a discipline, the reigning concern was explaining the emergence of the modern world, and that brought with it an expectation that religion would simply fade from the scene as societies became diverse, complex, and enlightened. As the century approached its end, however, a variety of global phenomena remained dramatically unexplained by these theories. Among the leading contenders for explanatory power to emerge at this time were rational choice theories of religious behavior. Researchers who have spent time in the field observing religious groups and interviewing practitioners, however, have questioned the sufficiency of these market models.Studies abound that describe thriving religious phenomena that fit neither the old secularization paradigm nor the equations predicting vitality only among organizational entrepreneurs with strict orthodoxies. In this collection of previously unpublished essays, scholars who have been immersed in field research in a wide variety of settings draw on those observations from the field to begin to develop more helpful ways to study religion in modern lives. The authors examine how religion functions on the ground in a pluralistic society, how it is experienced by individuals, and how it is expressed in social institutions. Taken as a whole, these essays point to a new approach to the study of religion, one that emphasizes individual experience and social context over strict categorization and data collection. ... Read more

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Questions, questions and more questions
Would you consider an Internet message board religious?What about a "pro-life" funeral for an aborted fetus?When a woman has a vision of Jesus as her reiki energy-healing guide, does that count as a religious experience?All the questions and many, many more are the concern of the essays found within "Everyday Religion."As editor Nancy Ammerman writes in the introduction, it all started with a conversation between sociologists of religion in 2003.Each of them brought their "insights and nagging questions that had accumulated in (their) years of observing religious people" to the table, in order to aid one another in formulating new ways of observing and interpreting religion (4).The end result was a compendium of questions, a collection of jumping off points; the end result was Everyday Religion."

The gamut of subjects covered in "Everyday Religion" is vast.In the first section, entitled "Tradition Dislodged but Not Lost," Grace Davie and Enzo Pace, in their respective articles, discuss institutional religion in Europe, both its static, expected role and the dynamic reshaping it is undergoing as well.Looking at "unsynagogued Jews," Lynn Davidman looks as the role religious heritage plays in the lives of those who may not otherwise call themselves religious (52).Rounding out the first section, Lynn Schofield Clark and Mia Lövheim bring the youth into the discussion. Clark, by looking at the role media plays in conveying religious ideas amongst "secular" youth, and Lövheim with her discussion of online message boards and the "institutionally weak" conversations (which are still influenced by "religious authorities and conventions") that happen therein (97).

In the second section, "Religion `Out of Place,'" the contributors look at religion that crosses often-unexpected boundaries.Boundary crossing is quite literal in Peggy Levitt's essay on the "transnationalization of religious experience" (113).Ziad Munson and Paul Licheterman tackle the oft-overlooked overlap of religion with political and civic groups and movements, and John P. Bartkowski's essay looks at faith, family and contradiction, especially within evangelical Christian households.

The third and final section of the book Kelly Besecke and Meredith McGuire focus on the how of everyday religion; how people create everyday religion both in their reading, physical embodiment of, and dialogue with their religious stories.Courtney J. Bender challenges what exactly we define as "religious experience" with her story of Cathy who met Jesus during an experience of astral projection.Ammerman then provides the final questions, encouraging scholars to see religion in the everyday, but not in a functionalistic manner, that is, simply something that "provides meaning and belonging" (224).Rather she encourages scholars to look at "why and how and to what effect" scholars and participants alike call things "religious" (225).

All the contributors to Everyday Religion use observation as their main method of research.While this observation takes many different forms, the result is that the participants' voices and personal understandings of what they're doing are allowed to flow through.Some contributors personally interviewed participants while others simply observed interactions, but the end result is an impressive bricolage of personal (yet relevant) experience.These interviews and observations, while incredibly specific, open up larger questions to be investigated in other areas of everyday religion.They reveal themes and techniques that may have universal application (if nothing else for the purposes of starting dialogue).

There are several overarching themes that are present in all the essays.The first, and perhaps most obvious, is the theme of crossing boundaries.Secular and sacred, private and public, national and domestic, everyday religion means blurring the barriers many have come to hold as permanent and definite.Studying everyday religion means the scholar must look beyond those boundaries as well, towards a new definition of "religious experience."Even amongst the boundary crossing, there are themes of consistency as well.Through these new forms of religious expression and exploration (for example: online interactions) consistent and even traditional themes and convictions still exist.Leaving behind older paradigms of study does not always mean abandoning older religious ideas.

The final theme present in "Everyday Religion" is the realization that sociologists have their work cut out for them.While the essays often provide theories and schemas through which to analyze everyday religious phenomena, at the same time they often raise more questions than answers.However, this is the real strength of "Everyday Religion." It provides scholars with different problems to pursue, queries to quest after and answers to ascertain. As Ammerman writes, "Religious identities are often maintained and negotiated in surprising places.""Everyday Religion," then, is a call for the sociologist and other scholars of living religion to go to the "outer limits of religion's presence in modern lives" (221).For contributor Peggy Levitt, this "means seeing the religious in the cultural.It means going where people actually practice their faith and noticing its spontaneous, informal incarnations.It means studying religion at home, at a community meeting, or on a mountaintop or beach" (114).

The collective effort that is "Everyday Religion" is an impressive anthology born from questions that produces more questions.The dynamic authorship and often fascinating and even strange subject matter make it an entertaining introduction into the field of lived religions, but those looking for answers will be disappointed.This is a book by scholars for scholars.Ammerman and her colleagues have set the bar high, pushed the boundaries and challenged the norm.She sums it up quite well in her final sentence: "Sociologists of religion still have a great deal left to study" (234). ... Read more

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GenX Religion is the first in-depth collection on this generation's religious experience.The contributors, mostly GenXers themselves, offer both a disciplined methodology and a valuable insider's sensitivity as they examine the differences between GenX religion and "traditional" religious avenues. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

more than fluff
this book rocks.

i've read alot of books about gen x and religion. this is among the best. i'd place it beside strauss and howe's "13th generation" as a seminal gen x work.

unlike many books by postmodern guru types, that offer anecdotal (and often inaccurate) quips about gen x, this book was written by serious scholars of religion and sociology. they actually went to real, authenitc gen x started and gen x led religious communities and studied them, in a more than superficial way... and documented how they actually lived out their faith and service to god, as postmodern believers.

the conclusions drawn at the end of the book are dead on and very helpful. if you really want to learn about authentic gen x religion, as it is actually being practiced by xers, read this book. ... Read more

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"This is an amazing study, a memoir which provides insight into family abuse in 18th century America.... a significant volume which enhances our knowledge of social and religious life in New England. It is also a moving contribution to the literature of spirituality." -- Review and Expositor

"Students of American culture are indebted to Ann Taves for editing this fascinating and revealing document and for providing it with full annotation and an illuminating introduction." -- American Studies International

"This is above all an eminently teachable text, which raises important issues in the history of religion, women, and the family and about the place of violence in American life." -- New England Quarterly

"... stimulating, enlightening, and provocative... "  -- Journal of Ecumenical Studies

Abigail Abbot Bailey was a devout 18th-century Congregationalist woman whose husband abused her, committed adultery with their female servants, and practiced incest with one of their daughters. This new, fully annotated edition of her memoirs, featuring a detailed introduction, offers a thoughtful analysis of the role of religion amidst the trials of the author's everyday life.

Customer Reviews (2)

As It Was in the Beginning, Is Now ...
... but let's hope it shall NOT forever be! The title of this study suggests a causal linkage between religion and domestic violence. That ISN'T the hypothesis the editor actually intends to present, though it may well be a question worth asking. Rather, editor Ann Taves offers the Memoirs of Abigail Abbot Bailey as a source document for the study of the religious mentality of devout 18th C "covenant" Congregationalists - what we usually call Puritans. Taves's 48-page introduction is as coherent an explication of "covenant" theology as I've ever read, written with respect and impartiality. Taves makes a good case that "covenant" theocracy contributed much to the evolution of democracy -- yes, that IS counter-intuitive! -- to the egalitarianism of American culture, and especially to the foundations of gender equality and universal suffrage. As Taves recounts, the emphasis on religion as a covenant was matched with a perception of marriage that stressed mutuality rather than patriarchal authority. For covenanters like Abigail Abbot, marriage was to be above all a spiritual companionship, a "friendship" as well as a practical domestic management unit. Abigail marries a man whom she knows is not a 'true Christian' in the covenant sense, but whom she hopes to convert and whom she expects to live with in faithful friendship. She persists in calling her husband, Asa Bailey, her "friend" until his abuse and infidelity justify her in denominating him her "enemy". And that change in perception, believe me, takes a lot of malignant misbehavior over many years!

Physical and emotional abuse is only the beginning of Asa's mistreatment of his long-suffering wife. Eventually he seduces a serving woman, whom he sends away when confronted. Then he attempts to rape another serving woman. He forces incest, over a period of sixteen months, on his own eldest daughter. He brutalizes all of his ten children in one way or another. When Abigail finally, against all the habits of her mind and the norms of her community, demands a separation, Asa does his utmost to deprive her and her children of any share of the family property. But Abigail, once aroused, is a dauntless fighter of Old Testament vigor. And Asa, seen through Abigail's account, is as hateful a hypocrite and domestic tyrant as any in literature.

Edited first by her local minister and published at the request of friends in 1815, after her death, Abigail Abbot Bailey's memoirs were the earliest public record of domestic violence in America. As such, the memoirs are an invaluable source of historical insight into the lives of Americans in the era of the Revolution. The years of Abigail's marriage, covered in her memoirs, were from 1767 to 1792. Students of that era could find no clearer depiction than this of the attitudes of New Englanders toward divorce, respectability, privacy, adultery, communal property, and patriarchy than this.

The Memoirs might also be regarded as the first great novel in American literature, assuming that a "novel" doesn't need to be pure fiction. Abigail's story is extremely dramatic and touching, and arrives at a film-worthy climax in her escape from her husband's fiendish plot to carry her off, without her children, to the wilds of back-country New York. Abigail wrote well, amazingly well, or else her first publisher/minister was an editorial genius. The narrative of Abigail's travails and eventual resistance is skillfully interpolated into Abigail's ecstatic sermon on the mercies of her omniscient and omnipotent God, so that her depiction of events and her scripture-based interpretations of those events are in thoughtful equipoise. Abigail knew her scriptures well! She read her Bible daily and she found solace therein, and she quotes verse after verse both to shed light on her own decisions and to enlighten the Reader for the betterment of his/her soul. I suppose many modern readers will be impatient with Abigail's sermonizing piety, but it's central to the narrative. It was the 'submission' taught to her by her religion - submission to God first, but also to her condition as a married woman - that explains Abigail's behavior, her unwillingness to turn against Asa or to ruin his status in the community. From a modern sociological point of view, Abigail was certainly a 'co-dependent', a woman who passively allowed herself and her children to suffer outrageous abuse. Even then, there's a suggestion that her neighbors and co-religionists regarded her behavior with disapproval, both before her divorce, for allowing her husband to get away with incest, and after her divorce, for defying the patriarchal conventions of property. If Abigail's 'lessons' in covenant theology become tiresome, the reader can easily enough skim through them and follow the story.

That story, stripped of its scriptural verbiage, is shockingly familiar. Modern. Right next door to many families in America today. The statistics of child and spousal abuse throughout the USA, particularly in communities that assert their righteous conservatism, prove that fervid religiosity and domestic violence are as odiously comfortable together as they were in the 1780s.

A deep historic, but contemporary look at domestic violence
Abigail Bailey keeps a diary of her thoughts and feelings relating to her abusive marriage. Abigail's perspective is historic, as she lived in New England in the early foundations of America, but also contemporary, as she writes of the pains, hopes, and struggles of living with an abusive husband. Abigail Bailey's faith played an integral part of her decision-making process, and anyone who wants to understand how Christianity and spirituality contributes to the plight of the abused wife is urged to read this book. It gives a birds-eye view of the inner dynamics of the abusive relationship and Christianity's relationship to those dynamics. While the memoirs stand on their own, the editor does a thourough job of explaining the social, political, and historical contexts of Abigail's life. The only downfall is that it is "heavy" reading, as the language Abigail used is old-English, and one may need to labor more than usual in reading and interpeting it. It is well worth it, though! ... Read more

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James A. Beckford's work is internationally acclaimed not only in the sociology of religion, but also in other fields of the social sciences. Beckford has long been arguing that the barriers that have grown up between the different sub-disciplines should be broken down, with those specialising in religion becoming more cognisant of new theoretical developments, and sociologists in general becoming more aware of the significance of developments in the religious scene. This book is a collection of essays written in Beckford's honour, drawing on a number of religious themes that have been central to Beckford's interests, whilst also offering a significant contribution to our understanding of the wider society. A central theme is modernity (and its relation to the post-modern), and how religion affects and is affected by the dynamics of contemporary society, with the primary focus of many of the chapters being a concern with how society copes with the minority religions that have become visible with the globalising tendencies of contemporary society. The contributors, who come from America, Asia and various parts of Europe, are all internationally renowned scholars.Beckford's most important publications are listed in an Appendix and the volume opens with a short account of his contribution to sociology by Eileen Barker (the editor) and James T. Richardson. ... Read more

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With political controversies raging over issues such as the wearing of headscarves in schools and the mention of Christianity in the European Constitution, religious issues are of growing importance in European politics. In this volume, Byrnes and Katzenstein analyze the effect that enlargement to countries with different and stronger religious traditions may have on the EU as a whole, and in particular on its homogeneity and assumed secular nature. Looking through the lens of the transnational religious communities of Catholicism, Orthodoxy and Islam, they argue that religious factors are stumbling blocks rather than stepping stones toward the further integration of Europe. All three religious traditions are advancing notions of European identity and European union that differ substantially from how the European integration process is generally understood by political leaders and scholars. This volume makes an important addition to the fields of European politics, political sociology, and the sociology of religion. ... Read more

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In Religion and Everyday Life and Culture, 36 international scholars describe the impact of religious practices around the world, using rich examples drawn from personal observation. Instead of repeating generalizations about what religion should mean, these volumes examine how religions actually influence our public and private lives "on the ground," on a day-to-day basis.

Volume one introduces regional histories of the world's religions and discusses major ritual practices, such as the Catholic Mass and the Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca. Volume two examines themes that will help readers understand how religions interact with the practices of public life, describing the ways religions influence government, education, criminal justice, economy, technology, and the environment. Volume three takes up themes that are central to how religions are realized in the practices of individuals. In these essays, readers meet a shaman healer in South Africa, laugh with Buddhist monks, sing with Bob Dylan, cheer for Australian rugby, and explore Chicana and Iranian art.

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This text includes, but moves beyond, tradition-based experiential writing by turning to the academic study of religion. It includes work that compares or focuses on different religious traditions, such as various forms of Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and Native American spiritualities. It also incorporates writing on various geographical areas and historical time periods. By assuming a wide definition of religion, it raises questions about the terms religion and religious themselves. ... Read more

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One of two book projects to come out of the Hispanic Churches in America Public Life project (HCAPL), this project seeks to examine the impact of religion on political and civic engagement in the Latino community. This volume presents sixteen new essays addressing important issues, personalities, and movements in Latino religions in America. The authors' purpose is to overthrow the longstanding stereotype that Latinos are politically passive and that their churches have supported the status quo, failing to engage in or support the struggle for civil rights and social justice. Individual essays explore such varied topics as "The Mysticism and Social Action of Cesar Chavez," "The Challenges of Being Latina, Catholic, and Feminist," "Hispanic Churches in Faith-Based Community Organizing," and "The Mexican American Cultural Center and the Politics of Cultural Empowerment." ... Read more

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Womanist approaches to the study of religion and society have contributed much to our understanding of Black religious life, activism, and women's liberation. Deeper Shades of Purple explores the achievements of this movement over the past two decades and evaluates some of the leading voices and different perspectives within this burgeoning field.

Deeper Shades of Purple brings together a who's who of scholars in the study of Black women and religion who view their scholarship through a womanist critical lens. The contributors revisit Alice Walker's definition of womanism for its viability for the approaches to discourses in religion of Black women scholars. Whereas Walker has defined what it means to be womanist, these contributors define what it means to practice womanism, and illuminate how womanism has been used as a vantage point for the theoretical orientations and methodological approaches of Black women scholar-activists.

Contributors: Karen Baker-Fletcher, Katie G. Cannon, M. Shawn Copeland, Kelly Brown Douglas, Carol B. Duncan, Stacey M. Floyd-Thomas, Rachel Elizabeth Harding, Rosemarie Freeney Harding, Melanie L. Harris, Diana L. Hayes, Dwight N. Hopkins, Ada María Isasi-Díaz, Cheryl A. Kirk-Duggan, Kwok Pui-Lan, Daisy L. Machado, Debra Majeed, Anthony B. Pinn, Rosetta Ross, Letty M. Russell, Shani Settles, Dianne M. Stewart, Raedorah Stewart-Dodd, Emilie M. Townes, Traci C. West, and Nancy Lynne Westfield.

Customer Reviews (1)

a view
I have deeply enjoyed reading this book. I have read a few to a lot of feminist books and other writings. A lot of the feminist perspectives were interesting, rich, enticing, focus, and yet diverse, from premodern, modern to postmodern. However, they've all been from a eurocentric, americentric white perspective. Thus, this book offers a different shade, a deeper shade (of color) to what has been missing in feminist study. In my opinion, feminist study would not be complete without inclusion of this book.There are many great scholars within; and even if you don't agree with them, it is much worth the read and worth the penny investment. ... Read more

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It's hard to think of a single aspect of American culture, past or present, in which religion has not played a major role. The roles religion plays, moreover, become more bewilderingly complex and diverse every day. For all those who want--whether out of curiosity, necessity, or civic duty--a vivid picture and fuller understanding of the current reality of religion in America, this Very Short Introduction is the go-to book they need.
Timothy Beal describes many aspects of religion in contemporary America that are typically ignored in other books on the subject, including religion in popular culture and counter-cultural groups; the growing phenomenon of "hybrid" religious identities, both individual and collective; the expanding numbers of new religious movements, or NRMs, in America; and interesting examples of "outsider religion," such as Paradise Gardens in Georgia and the People Love People House of God in Ohio. He also offers an engaging overview of the history of religion in America, from Native American traditions to the present day. Beal sees three major forces shaping the present and future of religion in America: first, unprecedented religious diversity, which will continue to grow in the decades to come; second, the information revolution and the emergence of a new network society; and third, the rise of consumer culture. Taken together, these forces offer the potential to create a new American pluralism that would enrich society in unimaginable ways, but they also threaten the great ideal of e pluribus unum.
With visual aids that help readers navigate America's diverse religious landscape, this informative, thoughtful, and provocative book is a must-read in the emerging public conversation concerning religion in America. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Classroom usefulness
Beal understands that religion begins in the streets, that to understand the way religion functions we have to look at the places we pass on an everyday basis. The book works as a great primer for religion in the US since it gets at the diversity of perspectives found all around us (no matter who "us" is). I'll use it next semester for my course for sure.

Make it short
Author spends too much space on describing his particular religious environment -- which is rather boring for readers. The historical overview is ok, though.

Religion in America - an academic perspective
Any short introduction to a subject as vast as religion will inevitably leave a lot of martial out, and in the case of a religiously rich country like America this will be doubly so. It is impossible to squeeze in the full variety of the America's religious experience and history in a hundred odd pages, and there is a need for some judicious editing. Even granting all this, the "Religion in America: a very short introduction" comes across as a disappointment. It is written from an academically liberal perspective, and most of what is mainstream and ordinary in American religious landscape gets either marginalized at best, but more often viewed with suspicion. The single biggest religious institution, the Catholic Church, is barely mentioned in passing, and the recent rise of megachurches that are starting to dominate the religious conscience are not even granted that much of attention. Instead, many pages are spent on marginal and/or insignificant religious groups like Aryan Nation, Nation of Islam, Kentucky Buddhists, and similar groups. All these accounts are actually pretty interesting in their own right, but that doesn't help with understanding of the dominant forms of American religiosity.

In the chapter on history of religion in America a great deal is made of the genocide perpetrated against Native Americans. This is a very unfortunate chapter in American founding, but it is best understood through the lens of colonialism. To ascribe to it a primarily religious component is too much of a stretch.

One of the things that make America so different from other industrialized Western nations is the degree to which the US is religious, and Christian in particular. However, this book will not elicit any deeper understanding of where this religiosity comes from or what are its dominant manifestations. In its own right the book is well written and informative, but the title misrepresents what the main topics covered are.

OMG!Beal rocks!
Yeah, this is a great book. It kills.Buy it.You might think American religious history is boring, but Beal makes it really interesting. ... Read more

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The Faith of Fifty Million features essays by religion scholars who analyze the relationship between baseball and theology in American culture. Topics include: the sense of national identity, baseball and civil religion, "saints and sinners," baseball and the American Dream with regard to racial integration, women and baseball, baseball as metaphor, and baseball as spiritual autobiography.Readers will love this fascinating intersection of baseball, race, American civil religion, and contemporary sports culture. ... Read more

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Thank God for Baseball
I expected a review of the phenomenon of baseball in American culture.What I didn't expect was good scholarship and fine theological reflection!Both are there.The essays are wonderful and examine the parallels between Christianity and baseball from the perspectives of history, ethics, and hope.Read it before your next trip to the ball park! ... Read more

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This volume analyzes the remarkable ability of Buddhism to survive within a strong urban environment despite its renunciant nature. Early Buddhism flourished because it was able to take up the challenge represented by buoyant economic conditions and the need for cultural uniformity in the newly emergent states in northeastern India from the fifth century BCE onwards. In spite of the Buddhist ascetic imperative, the Buddha and other celebrated monks moved easily through various levels of society and fitted into the urban landscape they inhabited. The book offers reasons for this apparent inconsistency. ... Read more

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Religion and the Creation of Race and Ethnicity is the first collection devoted to demonstrating the role that religion and myth have played in the creation of the categories of "race" and "ethnicity."

When scholars approach religion and race, they tend to focus on such issues as how African Americans have expressed Christianity, or how Japanese or Mexicans have lived "religiously." This volume, meant specifically for those new to the field, brings together an ensemble of prominent scholars and illuminates instead the role religious myths have played in shaping those very social boundaries that we call "races" and "ethnicities." It asks, what part did Christianity play in creating "Blackness"? To what extent was Japanese or Mexican identity itself the product of religious life?

The text, comprised of all original material, introduces readers to the social construction of race and ethnicity and the ways in which these concepts are shaped by religious narratives. It offers examples from both the U.S. and around the world, exploring these themes in the context of places as diverse as Bosnia, India, Japan, Mexico, Zimbabwe, and the Middle East. The volume helps make the case that any account of the social construction of race and ethnicity will be incomplete if it fails to consider the influence of religious traditions and myths.

Contributors include Eddie S. Glaude, Jr., Joel Martin, Jacob Neusner, Roberto S. Goizueta, Laurie Patton, and Michael A. Sells. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great range for cultural studies of religions
The book is a collection of essays, each dealing in the ways in which various religious traditions have shaped constructs of racial and ethnic identities.I found it fascinating, because of the various cultures covered in this range of essays.Some of them provide excerpted original texts and stories of the ethnic/religious groups being discussed.It really broadened my range of knowledge, which is primarily the interplay of Northern European Christianity/American colonists with the African slave populations.In brief and illuminating examples, cultures that I would not have been initially drawn to were made intelligible and I became very engaged in learning about them in more detail.Some of the essays focus on case studies, which are always interesting to me, given the attention to detail and the author's method of relating these particular examples to a broader context.I have graduate-level training in the history of religions and these essays impressed me with their academic rigor as well as their accessibility to the layperson.

I highly recommend it for anyone interested in the interplay between religion and culture and the shaping of identities through history. ... Read more

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Americans have never been more religious than they are now, at the dawn of the twenty-first century. By all reports, attendance rates at traditional places of worship are high and rising; the influx of new immigrant religions has revitalized standard faiths and drawn in those who had strayed from them. Popular television shows like "The Simpsons" feature characters who go to church every Sunday and speak to God; special events, like the 1998 outdoor mass in Worcester, Massachusetts, for a comatose girl believed to have miraculous powers, attract thousands of people.

This collection is both part of this ferment and an intellectual reflection upon it. Religion and Cultural Studies features essays by major scholars from the fields of anthropology, history, literary criticism, and religion in order to enrich critical discourse about religion and culture. Despite the variety of disciplines represented by this group of scholars and the variety of cultures explored in their essays--from fifteenth-century Flemish asceticism and nineteenth-century African-American spiritualism to Russian blood-libel trials and Alien Abduction Reports in the twentieth century--their common ground is the question of religion's place in current American academic analysis, and more broadly in American life today. The volume's range of vocabulary and subject matter is aimed at vitalizing scholarly interest in the field of religion and cultural studies and deepening intellectual inquiry in the contemporary academy.

The contributors are Eytan Bercovitch, Karen McCarthy Brown, Gillian Feeley-Harnik, Richard Wightman Fox, Jenny Franchot, Giles Gunn, Geoffrey Galt Harpham, Bruce B. Lawrence, Jack Miles, Susan L. Mizruchi, and Jonathan Z. Smith. ... Read more

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Americans remain deeply ambivalent about teenage sexuality. Many presume that such uneasiness is rooted in religion. But how exactly does religion contribute to the formation of teenagers' sexual values and actions? What difference, if any, does religion make in adolescents' sexual attitudes and behaviors? Are abstinence pledges effective? What does it mean to be "emotionally ready" for sex? Who expresses regrets about their sexual activity and why?

Tackling these and other questions, Forbidden Fruit tells the definitive story of the sexual values and practices of American teenagers, paying particular attention to how participating in organized religion shapes sexual decision-making. Merging analyses of three national surveys with stories drawn from interviews with over 250 teenagers across America, Mark Regnerus reviews how young people learn-and what they know-about sex from their parents, schools, peers and other sources.He examines what experiences teens profess to have had, and how they make sense of these experiences in light of their own identities as religious, moral, and responsible persons.

Religion can and does matter, Regnerus finds, but religious claims are often swamped by other compelling sexual scripts. Particularly interesting is the emergence of what Regnerus calls a new middle class sexual morality which has little to do with a desire for virginity but nevertheless shuns intercourse in order to avoid risks associated with pregnancy and STDs. And strikingly, evangelical teens aren't less sexually active than their non-evangelical counterparts, they just tend to feel guiltier about it. In fact, Regnerus finds that few religious teens have internalized or are even able to articulate the sexual ethic taught by their denominations. The only-and largely ineffective-sexual message most religious teens are getting is, "Don't do it until you're married." Ultimately, Regnerus concludes, religion may influence adolescent sexual behavior, but it rarely motivates sexual decision making. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Fact packed but dull
This book breathes facts and points and clarifications, but it is among the most dull books I have read on this topic and in some parts some of the detail could have been omitted.

I disagree with others who think this will be an enormously useful book to parents and educators. While there are points that can no doubt be applied to talking with children about sexuality Regnerus does not provide any insight into what could be done better. He lacks detail on why children who place God's word above their parent's word are less likely to have early sex. He lacks information on why LDS children are so much less conformed to the rest of teenagers in this area. So although you maybe able to make some conclusions or inferences, they won't rest on much factual basis from this book.

Insightful
I took Dr. Regnerus's class in the introduction to religion (a sociology course) when I read this book. I was shocked to learn about how ignorant and unintelligent these teenagers are, especially when you realize just how little they know actually about their religion. Interestingly enough, it inspired me to learn more about my religion.

As "obvious" as a previous reviewer may have thought the book was, I think they are terribly mistaken. Sure, we know some teens have sex and are religious, or have sex and are not religious, etc. but Regnerus does a great job of trying to understand why they chose what they chose. As an engineering major, it was important to me that it is also well-written and easy to follow.

Crucial Reading for those Concerned w/Teenagers
Regnerus makes a huge contribution in this book to our understanding of religion and sex in the lives of American youth. Forbidden Fruit is built on solid social science research and is highly informative and challenging. I recommend it to anyone who has, works with, or cares about teenagers.

This book is a must-read for religious leaders, educators, and parents
Forbidden Fruit asks questions about the connection between religion and sex among American teenagers, and the answers Regnerus finds are neither simple nor straightforward. In fact, the author concludes that simple and straightforward answers to questions about sex (like, avoid sex before you're married) have largely fallen flat among American teens, Christians included. There's new material on emerging sexual norms, masturbation, homosexuality, virginity loss, post-virginity sexual decision-making, etc. For these reasons, I think the book could be considered as a standard in the study of adolescent sexual behavior, independent of its illustrative emphasis on religion.

Forbidden Fruit is broad in its analyses of nationally representative survey data and rich in its conversations with real people. The writing is clear, crisp, and engaging, and should appeal to parents and educators alike. It's also fun to read but avoids a frivolous or overly playful tenor. There are many refreshing turns of phrase in the presentation of arguments that make this book enjoyable. In sum, the author talks about serious matters in a disarming way, one that is respectful to religious traditions, and doesn't lend itself to easy politicization or demonizing. The stories about evangelical youth (who seem sexually "traditional" in word more than in deed) and the emergence of a "conservative" middle class sexual morality that has little to do with religion are fascinating. I think the author is right: most religious groups in America don't know how to address adolescent sexuality; in turn they hold out no compelling vision for their teens in how to be both devout and sexual. In sum, it's an outstanding contribution. ... Read more

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Susan Hill Lindley presents the story of women and religion in America from the colonial period through the mid-1990s. She demonstrates that just as religion in the traditional sense has influenced the lives of American women, so have the women themselves had a significant effect on the shape of American religion through the years. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A history that starts withPlymouth rock
This book is a great overview of women, religion and social change in NORTH America. But I felt that it did not sufficiently cover Native American religous traditions, which is a significant component of our history.
With that caveat in mind, I feel that Ms. Hill Lindley did a great job surveying an immense topic in a way that was interesting, readable and empowering. This is a great resource and jumping off point for studying how women and religion interacted throughout the history of the U.S. ... Read more

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Walter Kaufmann devoted his life to exploring the religious implications ol literary and philosophical texts. Deeply skeptical about the human and moral benefi ts of modern secularism, he also criticized the quest for certainty pursued through dogma. Kaufmann saw a risk of loss of authenticity in what he described as unjustifi ed retreats into the past. Th is is a compilation of signifi cant texts on religious thought that he selected and introduced. Th e organization of this anthology reveals the breadth and scope of Kaufmann's interests. It includes chapters on neo-Th omism and writings of morally engaged existentialists along with Kaufmann's introductory remarks. Gottfried's new introduction thoroughly explains Kaufmann's beliefs and relates them to various nineteenth-century philosophers of religion, including Mendelssohn, Goethe, Nietzsche, and Tolstoy. Religion from Tolstoy to Camus is of continuing importance to philosophers, theologians, historians, and students of religious literature. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

It must not go out of print!
I believe this title was out of print for some time.We are to be thankful to Transaction Publishers for bringing it out in a new edition.This is one of the best anthologies of modern religious thought and philosophy.It is ably edited, with a long and useful introduction by Professor Kaufmann.I will use it as the centerpiece of the course in the philosophy of religion I will be teaching this fall... ... Read more

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In this thoroughly revised and updated edition, leading religion and Middle East expert Charles Kimball shows how all religious traditions are susceptible to these basic corruptions and why only authentic faith can prevent such evil.

Customer Reviews (39)

Not profound, but not bad
I was required to read this book for school (Senior, College) and got to see Dr. Kimball speak on campus.I was much more impressed with the person than the book.Kimball's position is somewhat vague, and while if you read carefully you can see that he is not against religion per-se, the tone and flow of his writing can give the opposite impression.Worth reading, but only just.

Highly credible author
Well researched, scholarly summation of the "red flags" that help you discern the difference between authentic, healthy religiosity and contracted evil extremism.

Forthright
A very forthright account of the dangers of religion to the human condition. There are many fine examples by this person of faith (he is a Baptist minister) that illustrate how religion can corrode its members and the society around them. The points are so good that if you are a person of no faith you likely will remain that way.

The author is convinced (as most of us are) that since 9/11 we must pay closer attention to what is happening in our religious communities. Unlike the author I am not convinced that religion can extricate humanity from the many problems it has within itself. I feel religion creates boundaries between people. To paraphrase from a book of Thomas Friedman (`Longitudes and Attitudes') - `I want to be tolerant, but do you'. I do not get a feeling of toleration when I am standing beside a Mennonite with a Jesus logo or a Muslim woman wearing a hajib. - I get a strong feeling of `religious advertising'.

The author is certainly not one for boundaries or walls - he wants an exchange of thoughts and ideas between all religions which is certainly a noble concept, but perhaps idealistic?

Some concepts of religions create boundaries. All religions have a Heaven (Nirvana) and the opposing dichotomy of Hell. This becomes a selective process as to which individuals will enjoy one or the other environment. It is divisive.

Also in the last 200-300 years society has had many scientific and social advances despite the resistance of religious institutions. Science and technology have enabled us to explore and travel the earth. Modern democratic countries have allowed and now encourage women to have a much more prominent role in society. But in organized religion, women have been denied any leadership role (except in a few Protestant sects). If religion wants to be considered just and fair it must overcome this grievous shortcoming.

The author continually refers to `sacred texts' - some of which have been used to justify abominable acts - like suicide and murder. Why are these texts considered sacred if they advocate abominations; or conversely; why is a text advocating an evil act considered sacred?

I am glad that Mr. Kimball is for the secularization of government - he states repeatedly that theocratic government is a dangerous concept. In the U.S. there has been increasing infringement of religious groups in government. In the last two Presidential election campaigns candidates were repeatedly questioned on their religious beliefs (whether they believed the Bible). I vividly remember Hilary Clinton telling a CNN audience what she prayed for.

If only all religious folk could be like Charles Kimball (or Jimmy Carter for that matter) religion would be far more tolerable. Mr. Kimball is most enlightened and searches for the good in all things - he is a pluralist.

When religion becomes evil
I ordered this particular book for my son who questions anything to do with religion & what not,& he really enjoyed it!!

To the Point
Kimball did a good job with this book. Of course due to the topic there is no way he could exhaust this material. His five points are accurate, however I would add FEAR. Humans are inherently afraid. Afraid of the unknown. They crave, seek out religion and a deity to abate some fear.

Spirituality is free. religion comes with a cost. a cost of freedom, monetary loss and a loss of indivdualized thinking. Kimball does a good job. Let us cut him slack on not getting it all down. Yes, I agree all religions and individuals who follow,"their" god are not talking about the same deity. how convenient it would be if that was true.

Spirtiuality found me. Religion was forced upon me. Thank God, pun intended, I lost my religion and stayed with my spirtuality.

Dan Williams,author of, " Above His Shoulders." ... Read more

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Wade Clark Roof and William McKinney argue that a new voluntarism is slowly eroding the old social and economic boundaries that once defined and separated religious groups and is opening new cleavages along moral and life-style lines. Nowhere has the impact of these changes been more profoundly felt than by the often-overlooked religious communities of the American center, or mainline--Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish.

"American Mainline Religion" provides a new "mapping" of the families of American religion and the underlying social, cultural, and demographic forces that will reshape American religion in the century to come. Going beyond the headlines in daily newspapers, Roof and McKinney document the decline of the Protestant establishment, the rise of a more assimilated and public-minded Roman Catholicism, the place of black Protestantism and Judaism, and the resurgence of conservative Protestantism as a religious and cultural force. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Recommended Buy!
This is a great book for anyone who enjoys the history and social divisions of religious groups.Students, scholars and seekers will all find this book a great reference.After reading, you finally understandhow religion, religious groups, and religious ideology play a role in thelives of Americans today.It can be dry and long for persons who justwanted some information but not the nitty gritty details.I highlyrecommend for social scientists. ... Read more