Professor Wilson examines the changes isolated communities undergo when they come into contact with the outside world.

Originally published in 1992, this remarkable book challenges many of the assumptions governing the Sociology of Religion and the Sociology of Culture by arguing that Western religion is neither science nor morality - it is the promise of happiness. Learned and incisive, it will be essential reading for students of religion, culture and anyone interested in the character of Modernity.

In this astounding account, a leading sociologist demonstrates that religion in America has become so tamed and softened that it hardly serves any of its original functions.

For the first time scholars in the study of early Christianity and early Chinese Buddhism put their efforts together and compare what had happened when a new belief entered into an old society: What were the reactions, rejections, adjustments, or adaptations both societies experienced? What can we learn from this comparison?

This title was first published in 2002: Religion and Social Transformations examines the reciprocal relationship between religion, modernity and social change. The book focuses on the world's three major missionary religions - Buddhism, Christianity and Islam. It explores how these three traditions are responding to some of the most challenging issues associated with globalization, including the role of religion in the fall of Communism; the tension between religion and feminism; the compatibility of religion and human rights; and whether ancient religions can accommodate new challenges such as environmentalism. The five textbooks and Reader that make up the Religion Today Open University/Ashgate series are: From Sacred Text to Internet; Religion and Social Transformations; Perspectives on Civil Religion; Global Religious Movements in Regional Context; Belief Beyond Boundaries; Religion Today: A Reader

Despite America's famous "separation of Church and State," religion obviously holds an enormous influence on nearly all aspects of society. Prof. Falk looks at major traditional religious groupings in the US and discusses how they influence the family, education, government, the economy, philanthropy, violence, music, and the media. Western society is becoming less religious, more secular, every day, as science answers some of the profound questions that inspired a belief in the supernatural. But society requires more than the laws of physics to hold it together, of course, and so far religion is the institution that has provided the most clear-cut moral guidelines, even for non-believers. Religion has also inspired many of our greatest artistic endeavors. But reliogion can also be used for crass commercial intersts or worse, to divide people and fuel violence. Drawing parallels and contrasts between Catholicism, mainline Protestantism, and Judaism, Dr. Falk talks about history and philosophy, political campaigns, social movements, popular music, literature and life. He shows how religious traditions influence us and how they impact politics, social stratification and even the military.

This book is about the global resurgence of culture and religion in international relations, and how these social changes are transforming our understanding of International Relation theory, and the key policy-related issue areas in world politics. It is evident in the on-going debates over the 'root causes' of 9/11 that there are many scholars, journalists and members of the public who still believe culture and religion can be explained away by appeals to more 'basic' economic, social or political forces in society. Therefore The Global Resurgence of Religion and the Transformation of International Relations presents an argument for taking culture - and particularly religion - as social forces that are important for understanding world politics in the post-Westphalian era.