Trois problèmes pour la sociologie du catholicisme
This article presents three fundamental problems which should be in cluded in an account of research in sociology of religion. The A. situates these problems within the framework of the French situation and seeks to present them 'not under a theoretical aspect, but from an organizational approa...
| Published in: | Social compass |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | French |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Sage
[1969]
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| In: |
Social compass
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| Online Access: |
Volltext (Resolving-System) Volltext (doi) |
| Summary: | This article presents three fundamental problems which should be in cluded in an account of research in sociology of religion. The A. situates these problems within the framework of the French situation and seeks to present them 'not under a theoretical aspect, but from an organizational approach ... such as they arise from a structure'.The A. first analyses the lack of means by which sociological research is affected. University education allows little place for sociology of religion and even if the situation is better at the level of scientific research, the possibilities remain poor. Catholicism has given rise to many initiatives, but initiatives which provide 'on the whole a nucleus, some good ele ments, forming a dispersed and dissimilar whole'. The difficulty with re gard to formulating an objective of research in this field in operational terms, and the division between fundamental research and applied re search constitute other non negligible handicaps.The second problem raised by the A. is that of the backwardness of the theoretical approaches. Research in being chiefly orientated towards the systematic and scientific study of religious practice has met with another field of investigation: collective detachment with regard to a religion. The problem of 'dechristianisation' calls for other methods, another theoretical framework which at the moment comes up against a 'stone wall': how to link practice or the lack of practice to this faith of which it is an expression. To come across this wall would suppose, among other things, that we surmount the dichotomy artificially imposed between practice and faith. How explain that existing beliefs so long intact have ceased to constitute the basis of a political order, of a social consensus? Such a kind. of research must make use of instruments other than analysis of behaviour: 'it is indispensable to go as far as (the faithful's) thoughts, beliefs and prayers'; it must lead to the double problem of the 'reliability of the Church' and of the 'credibility of her teaching'.The third problem posed by the A. concerns the 'reduction' to which the sociology of Catholicism is often subjected in the mind of the clergy. The clergy has played a great part in the realization of sociographical studies, has liked sociology, but perhaps has retained only the technical aspects of it; it has reduced the image of sociology to a procedure of analysis of immediate practical problems. Hence the improvised, rudimentary and even a-scientific character of certain works. In the face of religious sociology the ecclesiastical authorities are unable to situate themselves and ignore what can be expected from it. This impoverished image has a tendency to develop in a 'pastoral sociology', apart from sociology it self, which utilizes its services but refuses its control. The A. warns against the scientific value of such a discipline. The future of religious sociology depends on a definite choice in this field. |
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| ISSN: | 1461-7404 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Social compass
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1177/003776866901600404 |