Drawing on empirical research exploring mainstream religious belief and identity in Euro-American countries, Abby Day explores how people 'believe in belonging', choosing religious identifications to complement other social and emotional experiences of 'belongings'. Believing in Belonging draws on empirical research exploring mainstream religious belief and identity in Euro-American countries. Starting from a qualitative study based in northern England, and then broadening the data to include other parts of Europe and North America, Abby Day explores how people 'believe in belonging', choosing religious identifications to complement other social and emotional experiences of 'belongings'.The concept of 'performative belief' helpsexplain how otherwise non-religious people can bring into being a Christian identity related to social belongings.What is often dismissed as 'nominal' religious affiliation is far from an empty category, but one loaded with cultural 'stuff' and meaning. Day introduces an original typology of natal, ethnic and aspirational nominalism that challenges established disciplinary theory in both the European and North American schools of the sociology of religion that assert that most people are 'unchurched' or 'believe without belonging' while privately maintaining beliefs in God and other 'spiritual' phenomena.This study provides a unique analysis and synthesis of anthropological and sociological understandings of belief and proposes a holistic, organic, multidimensional analytical framework to allow rich cross cultural comparisons. Chapters focus in particular on: the genealogies of 'belief' in anthropology and sociology, methods for researching belief without asking religious questions, theacts of claiming cultural identity, youth, gender, the 'social' supernatural,fate and agency, morality and adevelopment of anthropocentric and theocentric orientations that provides a richer understanding of belief than conventional religious/secular distinctions. Scholars have long erred in taking religions at their word. Now perhaps no longer. In this path breaking work, Abby Day shows that religious beliefs are far less salient than religious belonging. Religious doctrine and ritual pale in importance beside religious identity and community... This theoretical breakthrough rides a methodological wave. Instead of prompting her respondents by asking directly about their religious beliefs and belongings, she is careful to embed the issueswithin the context of their broader convictions and commitments. The point isnot that religion is necessarily less significant, but that it is differentlysignificant. At Day's end, we all have a new beginning. INDICE: 1: Methods and theoretical frameworks Genealogies of belief in sociology and anthropology: transcending disciplinary boundaries A research journey begins 2: Cosmologies of the mainstream Believing in belonging: the cultural act of claiming identity Youth and belief: belonging to connected selves Thesensuous social supernatural Believing in fate: covering the cracks in belonging Boundaries of belonging: doing unto ourselves 3: Relocating belief and belonging Theorising belief: an holistic, organic, seven-dimensional model Understanding Christian nominalism: rethinking Christian identity Conclusion: relocating belief to the social
- ISBN: 978-0-19-957787-3
- Editorial: Oxford University
- Encuadernacion: Cartoné
- Páginas: 240
- Fecha Publicación: 06/10/2011
- Nº Volúmenes: 1
- Idioma: Inglés