Sociology of Religion for Generations X and Y

This book on the sociology of religion makes specific relevance to the generation X and Y from the very first page. Readers and students from this generation are involved in consumer culture, get part of their knowledge through popular culture and/or the Internet, and are more practical than theoretical. The academic world is in great need for such a work that focuses on the need of these generations, and this is done with this book which is at the intersection of consumer, cyber, and popular culture. Each chapter of this book has as an introduction a case study from popular culture or the Internet to draw the reader into a topic. This narrative device is a key approach to bringing readers and students to the heart of the problem and to explore relevant sociological concepts such as secularisation and the multiple modernisation thesis, re-enchantment, the McDonaldisation of society, and the easternisation of the west; while addressing contemporary phenomenon within, for example, Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, New Age, Scientology, and Witchcraft groups on and off line. It also addresses new religious phenomena such as the mixing of religion and popular culture on the Internet as found in new groups such as Jediism and Matrixism. While covering classical works in the field, this book uses the writing of cutting edge theorists to understand where religion and spirituality are coming from, where they are at the moment, and where they might be going. The book also highlights the practical relevance of this sub-discipline to readers and students by exploring what sociologists of religion do outside of universities.