A rich and dynamic introduction to the varieties of religious life and the central issues in the sociology of religion today. It leads the reader through the key ideas and main debates within the field as well as offering in-depth descriptions and analysis of specific religions and movements.

"The reader is taken on a global exploration of the forms and diversities of religions and their social and cultural contexts... It is up to the minute in research and theory, and comfortably grounded in the traditions of the social explanation of things religious and spiritual."
- Gary Bouma AM, Monash University

"Tells how sociology of religion originated in the work of key nineteenth and twentieth century theorists and then brings the story into the present era of globalization, hybrid spirituality, and the Internet. Students of religion will find this an engaging and informative survey of the field."
- Robert Wuthnow, Princeton University

"It considers the ‘big questions’ - What is religion? How is religion changing in a modern world? What is the future of religion? – and addresses them through tangible case studies and observations of contemporary life. Its global perspective reflects the breadth, diversity and vibrancy of this field."
- Sylvia Collins-Mayo, Kingston University

This is a rich and dynamic introduction to the varieties of religious life and the central issues in the sociology of religion today. It leads the reader through the key ideas and main debates within the field as well as offering in-depth descriptions and analysis of topics such as secularization, fundamentalism, Pentecostal Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, atheism, ‘The spiritual marketplace’, digital religion and new religions like Wicca.

Emphasising religion as a global phenomenon, examining especially the ways in which globalization has had an impact on everyday religious life, Singleton has created an illuminating text suitable for students in a wide range of courses looking at religion as a social and cultural phenomenon.

Introduction: Religion, Culture and Society
PART ONE: MAKING SENSE OF RELIGION AND RELIGIOUS CHANGE: THEORETICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL APPROACHES
What Is Religion and Spirituality?
Modern Times: Classical Approaches in the Social Scientific Study of Religion
Twentieth-century Challenges, twentieth-century Thinkers
Towards Contemporary Theorizing: Secularization, the ′Religious Economy′ and Globalization
Studying Contemporary Religion: Methods and Data
PART TWO: WINDS OF CHANGE: RELIGION AND SPIRITUALITY IN A GLOBALIZED WORLD
Post-Christian Nations? Christianity′s Decline in Great Britain, Australia and Canada
One Nation under God? American ′Exceptionalism′
Christian Vitality? Asia-Pacific, Africa and Latin America
Buddhism and Hinduism in a Globalized World
The Rise of the Global Ummah? Recent Trends in Islam
′Lived′ Religion in Everyday Life
The End of Religion? The New Atheism and Secularism
The Future of Religion? Young People, Religion and Spirituality