Discussions and debates over the medical use of stem cells and cloning have always had a religious component. But there are many different religious voices. This anthology on how religious perspectives informs the difficult issues of stem cell research and human cloning.
The second edition of this major book on the social analysis of religion incorporates a substantial new introduction by Bryan S Turner. Religion and Social Theory assesses the different theoretical approaches to the social function of religion. Turner discusses at length the ideas of key contributors to these approaches (including Engels, Durkheim, Weber, Nietzsche, Freud, Parsons, Marcuse, Habermas and Foucault). In so doing, he develops a distinctive perspective on the role of religion as an institutional link between economic and human reproduction. Social theories of religion are explored through a resolutely comparative and historical analysis of the Abrahamic faiths - Judaism, Islam and Christianity. Relating comparative religion to the social context of individualism, civil religions and political legitimacy, the book makes a major contribution to the analysis of conflict and consensus in social systems.
This is the first attempt to integrate research on the place of religion in adolescent development today and to consider the impact of it on law and social policy making.
Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork using interviews and participant observation, Sylvan examines such subcultures as the Deadheads, raves and their participants, metalheads, and Hip Hop culture. Based on these case studies, he offers a comprehensive theoretical framework in which to study music and popular culture.
Most studies of the religious significance of popular music focus on music lyrics, offering little insight into the religious aspects of the music itself. This book examines the religious dimensions of popular music subcultures, charting the influence and religious aspects of popular music in mainstream culture today.
Joseph McCabe (1867-1955), a former Catholic priest became one of the best-known champions and a prolific populariser of free-thought and rationalism in the first half of the 20th century. He tackled some of the most controversial issues of the modern era such as: evolution, biblical errancy, and belief in God. This book features his biography.
Developments in biotechnology, such as cloning and the decoding of the human genome, are generating questions and choices that traditionally have fallen within the realm of religion and philosophy. This title challenge policymakers to recognize the value of religious views on biotechnology.
The Right to Contraception and Abortion in Ten World Religions
This call to rethink major religious traditions on key topics of family planning provides a fresh, underreported side of these traditions. Written in a lively, engaging, and skilled style by a leading ethicist, this guide brings expert insights of major scholars in a manageable format.
While the French Revolution has been much discussed and studied, its impact on religious life in France is rather neglected. Yet, during this brief period, religion underwent great changes that affected everyone: clergy and laypeople, men and women, Catholics, Protestants, and Jews. The 'Reigns of Terror' of the Revolution drove the Church ......
