On Secularization: Towards a Revised General Theory by David Martin

by David Martin

'Secularization' has been hotly debated since it was first subjected to critical attention in the mid-sixties by David Martin, before he sketched a 'General Theory' in 1969. 'On Secularization' presents David Martin's reassessment of the key with particular regard to the special situation of religion in Western Europe, and questions in the global context including Pentecostalism in Latin America and Africa. Concluding with examinations of Pluralism, Christian Language, and Christianity and Politics, this book offers students and other readers of social theory and sociology of religion an invaluable reappraisal of Christianity and Secularization. It represents the most comprehensive sociology of contemporary Christianity, set in historical depth.

Genres: Religion

Paperback

First published July 30, 2005

About the author

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Reviews

[Bryan Becker · Rating 3 out of 5]

The last chapter is worth it. Some of the others are not.

[Neil White · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a dense work couched in sociological language which means that its just over 200 pages do take longer to work through but David Martin's work is worth the labor. On Secularization is a collection of articles and presentations looking at secularization, Christian language, Pentecostalism, sacred space and metanarratives across the world. This is a wide reaching work full of interesting insights sometimes captured in very sharp and short statements. This is a work I will spend some time digesting as I sit with some of its statements and continue to process what they mean as a description of the world in which we live.