The texts in this course are listed below.  The books are available for purchase at the Vanderbilt bookstore.  You should review the printed syllabus for the dates readings are assigned.  Readings should be done before you come to class that day and are intended as an aid to understanding that day's lecture or class discussion.  Any readings not located in these books will be linked to here as well. 

Johnstone, Ronald. (2004). Religion In Society: A Sociology of Religion. Saddle River, NK: Prentice Hall Press. "Using an unbiased, balanced approach, this book offers a sound analysis of religion as a social institution that is interdependent and in constant interaction with other societal units. It helps readers understand the role and function of religion in society which occur regardless of anyone's claims about the truth or falsity of religious systems. The focus is on American religious institutions, but the book includes many examples of the interaction of religion and society in other cultures, both historic and contemporary. For anyone interested in religion as a social institution. " (Publisher)

Durkheim, Emile. (1912). The Elementary Forms of Religious Life: A New Translation by Karen E Fields. New York, NY: The Free Press. "In The Elementary Forms of Religious Life (1912), Emile Durkheim sets himself the task of discovering the enduring source of human social identity. He investigates what he considered to be the simplest form of documented religion - totemism among the Aborigines of Australia. For Durkheim, studying Aboriginal religion was a way 'to yield an understanding of the religious nature of man, by showing us an essential and permanent aspect of humanity'. The need and capacity of men and women to relate to one another socially lies at the heart of Durkheim's exploration, in which religion embodies the beliefs that shape our moral universe." (Publisher)

 Hartman, Keith. (1996). Congregations In Conflict: The Battle Over Homosexuality. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press. "As numerous denominations grapple with the question of how to respond to the presence of gay and lesbian believers, Hartman's evenhanded analysis of how nine communities of faith in North Carolina's Research Triangle have dealt with the issue is an excellent guide. His book should help congregants negotiate the pitfalls of biblical interpretation and culturally entrenched homophobia. Many of the faith communities Hartman portrays have great difficulty accepting homosexuality: a Methodist congregation is alarmed by its pastor's outreach to the local gay community; congregations are expelled from the Southern Baptist Convention for seeking accommodation with homosexual members; Quakers struggle to find accord with same-sex marriages; and a straight minister of the gay Metropolitan Community Church is forced from her pulpit for becoming preoccupied with caring for congregants dying of AIDS. But also among Hartman's cast of searching Christians are lay conservatives whose commitment to reconciling differences within the church triumphed over prejudice. Hartman's book is an invaluable beginning to the healing of misunderstanding on all sides." (Publisher's Weekly)

Jan 18 Emerson, Robert M., Rachel I. Fretz, and Linda L. Shaw (1995) Writing Ethnographic Fieldnotes. University of Chicago Press: Chicago  Pp. 26-65

Jan 30 Weber, Max. (1930) "Religious Affiliation and Social Stratification" in The Protestant Ethic and The Spirit of Capitalism.  Unwin-Hyman: London

Feb 01 Weber, Max (1930) "The Spirit of Capitalism" in The Protestant Ethic and The Spirit Of Capitalism.  Unwin-Hyman: London

Feb 03 Weber, Max (1922) "Soteriology and Types of Salvation" in The Sociology Of Religion.  Beacon Press: Boston

Feb 06 DuBois, W. E. B. "The Negro Church" in DuBois on Religion (edited by Phil Zuckerman)

Feb 15 Hadaway, C. Kirk. (1989) "Identifying American Apostates: A Cluster Analysis". Journal For The Scientific Study Of Religion, 28:2, 201-215.

Mar 13 Woodberry, Robert and Christian Smith (1998) "Fundamentalism Et Al: Conservative Protestants In America". Annual Review of Sociology, 24, 25-56.

Mar 27 Ellison, Christopher and Darren Sherkat (1993) "Obedience and Autonomy: Religion and Parental Values Reconsidered". Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 32, 313-329.

Mar 29 Kearl, Michael (1989) Endings: A Sociology of Dead and Dying. Oxford: New York.  Pp. 170-199

Apr 5 Lincoln and Mamiya. The Religious Dimension: Toward A Sociology Of Black Churches and The Black Church And The Twenty-First Century: Challenges To The Black Church.

Apr 12 Murrow, David (2005) Chapters 7, 8, 9, and 14 in Why Men Hate Going To Church.