Pagan and Christian: Sociological Euhemerism Versus American Sociology of Religion

Human knowledge is such that understanding of religion is inevitably disconsolate and pagan—specifically , Euhemeristic. So it was with classical sociological interpretations of religion, for which sociological accounts were alternatives to realist accounts or religious self-images. In guise of brie...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Cavanaugh, Michael A. (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: 1982
In: Sociological analysis
Year: 1982, Volume: 43, Issue: 2, Pages: 109-129
Online Access: Volltext (JSTOR)
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Summary:Human knowledge is such that understanding of religion is inevitably disconsolate and pagan—specifically , Euhemeristic. So it was with classical sociological interpretations of religion, for which sociological accounts were alternatives to realist accounts or religious self-images. In guise of briefs for “detente” or against “reductionism,” American sociology of religion has converged upon a realist theory which reendorses religious self-images. Euhemeristic and realist accounts are compared in order to argue that realist theories of religion are not only bad general theories, they are actually anti-sociological theories. Realism has effectively impeded Euhemeristic accounts within American sociology of religion, although they are being given elsewhere.
ISSN:2325-7873
Contains:Enthalten in: Sociological analysis
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.2307/3710792