Details for The Sociology of Christian Community and Practice

This unit aims to provide students with the skills and insights required to analyse the place of values-communities in advanced industrial societies, and to reflect on what this means for the person of religious faith in the high modern/ postmodern contexts. 

The unit The Sociology of Christian Community and Practice is part of the subject area Social Engagement and is offered as a part of the following Awards: Master of Arts (Christian Studies) (Alphacrucis College (NSW Dept. of Education)).

Unit Content

Curriculum Objective

By the end of this unit, students should be able to demonstrate

1. a critical knowledge of the central issues facing faith traditions as social institutions in modern/post-modern societies;
2. a broad understanding, and reflective appreciation, of key sociological concepts, and the application of theory to data in producing understanding;
3. advanced skills in conceptualising and forming models for dealing with key social issues;
the ability to critically evaluate social representations for underlying meanings with regard to the role and value of churches within Australian society. 

Subject Content

1. Sociology as the investigation of ‘what is happening here’
2. Key theorists (Weber, Durkheim, Marx and their successors in the sociology of religion)
3. Key Concepts (from the social self to the global village)
4. Evaluating social representations of religion and faith
5. Integrating faith and learning through sociological discipline
6. Modeling issues arising from social change;
The Church as cultural Learning Organisation 

Assessment Methods

Reading report, minor essay, major essay.

Prescribed Text

• Reading list provided in unit outline

Representative References

Marx, K.; and Raines, J. (ed), Marx on Religion. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2002.

Loewen, G.V. Social Scientific Interpretations of Religion: Comparing the Hermeneutic Methodologies of James, Weber, Heidegger, and Durkheim. Lewiston: Edwin Mellen Press, 2009.

Pals, Daniel L. Introducing Religion: Readings from the Classic Theorists. New York: Oxford University Press, 2009.

Carroll, A.J. Protestant Modernity: Weber, Secularisation and Protestantism. Scranton PA: University of Scranton Press, c2007.

Pickering, W.S.F. Durkheim's Sociology of Religion: Themes and Theories, London: James Clarke Lutterworth, 2009.