Author Description

The scientific approach to the study of religion predates sociology by two centuries. It arises from the need (perceived by figures as intellectually diverse as Galileo, Descartes, and Spinosa) to free religious studies from fideist and ideological claims. The classical authors mapped out the field; the project has continued successively down to contemporary schools of thought. This book aims at bridging the divide between European and North American scholars through a careful retrieval of their common theoretical and research interests and the adoption of an international perspective that goes beyond the framework of western theology. Cipriani provides a critical analysis of both classical thought and the contemporary currents in the field, together with a well-documented presentation of the most significant European and North American authors. While this historical introduction to sociology of religion offers a scientific perspective in depth, it is also a very readable text aimed both at experts and students. Rather than detach theories from the various authors who devised them, it offers brief intellectual biographies as a vehicle for articulating their achievements and failings. As a result, the interplay of reciprocal suggestions and influences becomes more visible. Moreover, the volume provides an exhaustive synoptic outline, with eight tables interspersed chronologically, and an ample bibliography that will help with further research.