Concepts that can elucidate and that can confuse an observer – the crisis of secularization paradigm in sociology of religion

elective courses

Remote learning

Sociology was regarded a non-paradigmatic science. Surprisingly, the discussions of advocates and opponents of secularization theory suggest that we face up to the crisis of an old secularization paradigm, which pertains to the eighteenth century philosophy. Religious and secular fundamentalism increase the confusion concerning the present situation of religion. It is too early however to state that we have a sketch of new paradigm.

The following problems will be discussed at the lectures:

1. Concepts that bring about some confusion to the descriptions of religion in modern world; sacral-secular, secularization, magic …

2. Classic twentieth-century formulations of secularization theory and their critics;

3. The role of arguments provided by historians;

4. The drivers of secularization – real and alleged;

5. Cultural wars; is a secular fundamentalism possible;

6. Religion – dependent or independent factor in society?

7. Peculiarity of the Polish case in secular Europe; a nation and a religion.

● Franciszek Adamski (red.), 1983, Socjologia religii. Wybór tekstów. Kraków: Wydawnictwo Apostolstwa Modlitwy.

● Władysław Piwowarski (red.), 1998, Socjologia religii. Antologia tekstów. Kraków: Zakład Wydawniczy NOMOS.

● Susanne C.Monahan, William A. Mirola, Michael O.Emerson (red.), 2001, Sociology of Religion. A Reader. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hill.

● Timothy A. Byrnes, Peter J. Katzenstein, 2006, Religion in an Expanding Europe. Cambridge: University Press.

● Christian Smith (red.), 1996, Disruptive Religion. The Force of Faith in Social Movement Activism. New York.London: Routledge.

● Samrina P.Ramet 1995, Social Currents in Eastern Europe. The Sources and Consequences of the Great Transformation, rozdz. III. Religious and Ethnic Currents, ss. 155-195.

● Gerhard Robbers (red.), 2007, Państwo i Kościół w krajach Unii Europejskiej. tł. J. Lopatowska-Rynkowska, M. Rynkowski. Wrocław: Kolonia Ltd.

● Tom W. Smith, Seokho Kim 2007, Counting Religious Nones and Other Religious Measurement Issues: A Comparison of the Baylor Religion Survey and General Social Survey. GSS Methodological Report No.110. str. www.

● Philip S.Gorski 2000, Historicizing the Secularization Debate: Church, State, and Society in Late Medieval and Early Modern Europe, Ca. 1300 to 1700, American Sociological Review, Vol. 65. No 1. Feb. 2000.

● Alexandra Walsham 2008, The Reformation and ‘The Disenchantment of the World’ Reassessed, The Historical Journal 51, 2 (2008), pp. 497-528.

● C. John Sommerville, 2002, Stark’s Age of Faith Argument and the Secularization of Things: A Commentary. Sociology of Religion, Vol. 63, No.3 (Autumn, 2002), pp.361-372.

● Rodney Stark, 1999, Secularization, R.I.P. Sociology of Religion, 1999, 60:3, pp. 249-273.

● Peter L. Berger, 2001, Reflections on the Sociology of Religion Today. Sociology of Religion, 2001, 62:4, pp. 443-454.

● Darren E. Sherkat, Christopher G. Ellison, 1999, Recent Developments and Current Controversies in the Sociology of Religion, Annual Review of Sociology, 1999, vol. 25: pp. 363-393.

● Philip S.Gorski, Ates Altinordu, 2008, After Secularization, Annual Review of Sociology, 2008, 34: pp. 55-85.

● Warren S. Goldstein, 2009, Secularization Patterns in the Old Paradigm. Sociology of Religion 2009, 70:2. pp. 157-178.

● C. John Sommerville, 1998, Secular Society/Religious Population: Our Tacit Rules for Using the Term Secularization. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, vol. 37, No 2 (1998) pp. 249-253.

● Isaaco Turina 2007, Secularization as a Property of Action, Social Compass, 54(2), 2007, pp. 161-173.

● Linda Woodhead 2008, Gendering Secularization Theory, Social Compass 55(2), 2008, pp.187-193.

● R. Martin Goodridge 1975, The Ages of Faith’ – Romance or Reality, The Sociological Review, 23: pp. 381-396.

● Janusz Mariański, 2006. Sekularyzacja/desekularyzacja we współczesnym świecie. Lublin: Wydawnictwo KUL.

● Shadow Report on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians in Europe, 2005-2010. Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination Against Christians in Europe, str. www,

● Steve Bruce 2000, Fundamentalizm. tł. S. Królak. Warszawa: Sic.

● Nikki R.Keddie 203, Secularism @ its discontents, Daedalus, Vol. 132, No. 3, Summer, 2003, pp. 14-30.

● Religion and the Secular State: National Reports under the direction of Javier Martinez-Torrón, W.Cole Durham Jr. str. www.

● Ute Lotz-Heumann, 2001, The Concept of “confessionalization”: a Histographical Paradigm in Dispute. Memoria y Civilización (MyC), 4, 2001, pp. 93-114.

● Susan R.Boettcher, 2004,Confessionalization: Reformation, Religion, Absolutism, and Modernity. History Compass 2 (2004) EU 100, pp. 1-10.

● Mark Chaves, Philip Gorski, 2001, Religious Pluralism and Religious Participation. Annual Review of Sociology 2001, 27: pp. 261-281.

● Roger Friedland, 2001, Religious Nationalism and the Problem of Collective Representation, Annual Review of Sociology 2001, 27: pp. 125-52.

● Jonathan Eastwood, Nikolas Prevalakis 2010, Nationalism, religion, and the secularization: an opportune movement for research. Review of Religious Research 2010, vol. 52:1, pp. 90-111.

● Martin Riesebrodt, The Promise of Salvation 2007/2010.

Knows and understands basic concepts of various sub-domains of sociology (e.g. sociology of family, health, work, religion, economy, education, etc)

Is aware of ongoing theoretical and methodological disputes conducted in modern sociology; is reflective and critical of various positions

Has in-depth knowledge about social structures and selected social institutions as well as their interrelations

Is reflective and critical of the problem of social differentiation and inequalities

Has in-depth knowledge about the types of social ties and mechanisms supporting collective governance

Has in-depth knowledge about cultural diversity and its transformations, cultural identity, and intercultural interaction and communication

Has in-depth knowledge about major international and domestic sociological research pertaining to selected areas of social reality or sub-domains of sociology

Has in-depth knowledge of norms and rules governing social structures and institutions

Has in-depth knowledge about the functioning and management of various types of organizations

Has in-depth knowledge of assumptions and claims of selected historical and contemporary sociological theories

Knows how to interpret the role of culture in the life of the individual and society

Is open to various theoretical and methodological perspectives of social research

Presence at the meetings and an essay provided at the end of the course