Concluding Remarks

This chapter provides some brief concluding remarks.This study contributes to existing research in the sociology of religion and development studies fields by demonstrating the effect of the mutually reinforcing configuration of multiple prosperity triggers (religion–political–environment). Historical Protestantism largely influenced prosperity by promoting education, by secularising institutions, and by stabilising democracy. Protestantism has also proven highly influential in the successive historical law revolutions that gradually mitigated the power of pervasive feudal institutions and of papalist medieval canon law. In contrast, traditionally Roman Catholic countries have generally upheld a medieval model of extractivist institutions until anti-clerical (non-communist) movements were able to weaken this influence in some countries.

Max Weber and political theology of Friedrich Naumann

In the Weberian literature, it has been repeatedly noted that there is no serious theological interest in the most important provisions of the sociology of religion by Max Weber. This seems paradoxical given the religious-theological context for the development of Webers intellectual project of the social-theoretical hermeneutics of Western modernity. In the first part of the article, the author reconstructs the family and friends religious constellation which determined Webers understanding of the existential significance of religious meanings for certain groups of the modern era. The author mentions Webers close ties with a number of leading theologians of Germany in the late 19th - early 20th centuries, which influenced the heuristics of his writings. The second part of the article focuses on the multifaceted figure of Friedrich Naumann, a public intellectual, who was a Protestant pastor and a reactionary-conservative theologian and became a spiritual-political leader of the German left liberals. The author shows the initial ambivalence of the political-religious situation in the German Empire in the 1880s-1890s, in which Naumann tried to combine Christianity and socialism, and provides a brief overview of the young theologian and social activists gradual turning into a prominent figure of the German journalism and politics. In the third part of the article, the author describes the meeting of two thinkers as fateful for both Weber and Naumann, and emphasizes a radical turn in the worldview of the famous religious theorist and practitioner, who under the powerful influence of Webers personality and argumentation gave up both many previous ideas and pastors office. In conclusion, the author identifies the paradigmatic nature of Naumans ideological-political evolution as typical for a significant part of German intellectuals at the beginning of the 20th century, and considers Naumanns Hegelian acceptance of the modern nation-state as the highest value (following Weber) as a self-fulfilling diagnosis for the crisis modernity on the eve of the First World War catastrophe.

Armed Conflict and Religious Adherence Across Countries: A Time Series Analysis

A fundamental question in the comparative sociology of religion is: What are the drivers of cross-national differences in religiosity? The existential insecurity argument raises the expectation of higher levels of religiosity in contexts of social crisis. We test this argument against countries’ armed conflict experiences, employing global longitudinal data on religious adherence over almost half a century. We did not find evidence of religious revival when measuring the consequences of armed conflict with a 5-year lag, indicating that armed conflict-related social crises do not tend to lead to sudden changes in the religious adherence of a country. However, we did find more consistent indications of a higher proportion of religious people when using accumulated measurements of armed conflict, highlighting the importance of investigating the armed conflict history of a country when assessing its religious consequences. Our results show that countries with a more devastating experience of armed conflict tend to present higher proportions of religious adherence in comparison with countries with a less devastating armed conflict history. We concluded that armed conflict tends to partially drive religious persistence in societies that have experienced it, and that the pace at which this takes place is gradual rather than immediate.

A Tribute to Gary Bouma

Emeritus Professor Gary Bouma was many things to many people. He was Australia's pre-eminent scholar of the sociology of religion. As an ordained Anglican priest, Gary was noted for his pastoral care of his parishioners and others who sought his counsel and spiritual support. He was a loving husband, father and grandfather. Moreover, his deep commitment to social justice and harmony greatly influenced Gary's participation in interfaith dialogue. Gary contributed so much to scholarship and building bridges between religious communities that he was justly rewarded with an Order of Australia as a Member (AM) in recognition for his services to sociology, to the Anglican Church of Australia, and to interreligious relations in the 2013 Australia Day Honours.

The darker side of the moon: Satanic traditions in New Zealand as magick systems

<p>When people discover the topic of my thesis they usually ask "Why Satanism?". In 1998 Satanism caught my attention when I was doing an undergraduate paper in sociology, the sociology of religion. Here I encountered several studies on the Satanic Ritual Abuse phenomena (SRA, also known as Satanic Panic and Satanism scare) See appendices for a brief history of SRA of the late 1980's and early 1990's in England, America, Australia and here in New Zealand. SRA evolved from accusations that satanic cults were involved in rituals where children were physically and sexually abused, and possibly killed. There were also reports that children were being bred for such practices. Both here and overseas cases were investigated by government agencies. The Peter Ellis case is perhaps the defining example of SRA in New Zealand. See appendices for an overview of this case In 1999,I noticed the census figures between 1986 and 1996 showed a growth of New Zealanders who identified as Satanist during the height of SRA scare, with the number rising nearly 400% (from 240 to 906). From this several questions arose: perhaps most importantly what is Satanism: why had this number grown: and how does one become a Satanist? As I began researching answers to these questions, I became aware of elements that were not apparent from the literature. Not all Satanism is about being evil and using black Magick. The spelling of Magick with a 'k' is to differentiate between religious Magick and show (illusional) magic. This is explained in more detail later. Some elements of Satanism link it closely with other Magick traditions. In this thesis I discuss two questions: what is Satanism in New Zealand and is there a relationship between Satanism and other Magick traditions in New Zealand?</p>

The darker side of the moon: Satanic traditions in New Zealand as magick systems

<p>When people discover the topic of my thesis they usually ask "Why Satanism?". In 1998 Satanism caught my attention when I was doing an undergraduate paper in sociology, the sociology of religion. Here I encountered several studies on the Satanic Ritual Abuse phenomena (SRA, also known as Satanic Panic and Satanism scare) See appendices for a brief history of SRA of the late 1980's and early 1990's in England, America, Australia and here in New Zealand. SRA evolved from accusations that satanic cults were involved in rituals where children were physically and sexually abused, and possibly killed. There were also reports that children were being bred for such practices. Both here and overseas cases were investigated by government agencies. The Peter Ellis case is perhaps the defining example of SRA in New Zealand. See appendices for an overview of this case In 1999,I noticed the census figures between 1986 and 1996 showed a growth of New Zealanders who identified as Satanist during the height of SRA scare, with the number rising nearly 400% (from 240 to 906). From this several questions arose: perhaps most importantly what is Satanism: why had this number grown: and how does one become a Satanist? As I began researching answers to these questions, I became aware of elements that were not apparent from the literature. Not all Satanism is about being evil and using black Magick. The spelling of Magick with a 'k' is to differentiate between religious Magick and show (illusional) magic. This is explained in more detail later. Some elements of Satanism link it closely with other Magick traditions. In this thesis I discuss two questions: what is Satanism in New Zealand and is there a relationship between Satanism and other Magick traditions in New Zealand?</p>

Why Do Gay Christians Go To Church? Foucault and Religion

<p>This thesis explores the subjective experiences of New Zealand men who identify as gay and Christian. In particular, the study questions why gay men attend churches that have traditionally not welcomed or supported them. A small number of international studies have investigated gay men who have left the Church but there are few studies of those who stay. This research uses the work of Michel Foucault to theorise the contours of gay Christianity. Foucault's work has been little used in the sociology of religion. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with twelve men who identified as gay and Christian. Transcripts were examined using theoretically based thematic analysis, and three resulting themes are explored. The first theme describes religious exclusion of gay men and the value of supportive networks for gay Christians. The second theme theorises the concept of religious belief as both a type of knowledge/power and a practice, as well as exploring connections between religion and power. The third theme focuses on subjectivity, analysing ways in which those interviewed constructed an integrated gay and Christian self. Church attendance by gay men is attributed to three factors summarised as reasons of faith, reasons of fellowship and reasons of identity. These findings contribute to academic literature concerning religion, gay identity and Foucault, and there is scope for further research in these areas. The use of Foucault's work in this way may contribute to theoretical and methodological developments in the sociology of religion.</p>

Why Do Gay Christians Go To Church? Foucault and Religion

<p>This thesis explores the subjective experiences of New Zealand men who identify as gay and Christian. In particular, the study questions why gay men attend churches that have traditionally not welcomed or supported them. A small number of international studies have investigated gay men who have left the Church but there are few studies of those who stay. This research uses the work of Michel Foucault to theorise the contours of gay Christianity. Foucault's work has been little used in the sociology of religion. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with twelve men who identified as gay and Christian. Transcripts were examined using theoretically based thematic analysis, and three resulting themes are explored. The first theme describes religious exclusion of gay men and the value of supportive networks for gay Christians. The second theme theorises the concept of religious belief as both a type of knowledge/power and a practice, as well as exploring connections between religion and power. The third theme focuses on subjectivity, analysing ways in which those interviewed constructed an integrated gay and Christian self. Church attendance by gay men is attributed to three factors summarised as reasons of faith, reasons of fellowship and reasons of identity. These findings contribute to academic literature concerning religion, gay identity and Foucault, and there is scope for further research in these areas. The use of Foucault's work in this way may contribute to theoretical and methodological developments in the sociology of religion.</p>

Samvete i Sverige. Om frihet och lydnad från medeltiden till idag

In recent years, ideas of conscience and the liberty of conscience have become ever more salient in public discourse. Historically, these concepts have been used to mark out a certain scope of freedom and protection in moral, political and legal conflicts. In our time, individual conscience is frequently used to legitimate objections to, for instance, military service and medical interventions like abortion and vaccination. So too in Sweden – a country widely described as one of the most modern and secularized societies in the world. In this volume, a group of researchers in history, human rights, law, ethics and sociology of religion address some of the most central issues around conscience and the liberty of conscience in Sweden from the middle ages to the present. By situating conscience and liberty in wider intellectual, social and political settings, the essays provide alternative ways of thinking about the most intractable problems surrounding these concepts – the relationship between law and morality, the tension between individual and collective freedom, as well as the role of religion in public affairs. This volume will create new avenues of research for scholars and students interested in challenges related to conscience and liberty: both those in ethics, politics and law seeking a historical perspective, and those in history who want to tie their studies to the present.