Key Thinkers in the Sociology of Religion takes a focused look at the foremost figures in the development of the field. From the groundbreaking work of Max Weber, right up to that of contemporary writers such as Peter Berger and Niklas Luhmann, this volume is an essential companion for the student of sociology of religion.

Charting the development of theory in this area, each chapter looks at the life and work of an individual theorist, building to a picture of the field as it is today. Richard Fenn’s book provides a route to a rounded understanding of the field, through the thought that defined it.

Key Thinkers:
Emile Durkheim
Sigmund Freud
Max Weber
Talcott Parsons
David Martin
Brian Wilson
Peter Berger
Niklas Luhmann
Clifford Gertz
Maurice Bloch
Catherine Bell

Richard K. Fenn is Maxwell M. Upson Professor of Christianity and Society, Princeton Theological Seminary, USA, and editor of the Blackwell Companion to Sociology of Religion (2001).