Demonstrates definitively that the secularization thesis is correct, and religion is losing its grip on societies worldwide
In the decades since its introduction, secularization theory has been subjected to doubt and criticism from a number of leading scholars, who have variously claimed that it is wrong, flawed, or incomplete. In Beyond Doubt, Isabella Kasselstrand, Phil Zuckerman, and Ryan T. Cragun mount a strong defense for the theory, providing compelling evidence that religion is indeed declining globally as a result of modernization.
Though defenses of secularization theory have been mounted in the past, we now have many years’ worth of empirical data to illuminate trends, and can trace changes not just at a given point in time but over a trajectory. Drawing on extensive survey data from nations around the world, the book demonstrates that, in spite of its many detractors, there is robust empirical support for secularization theory. It also engages with the most prominent criticisms levied against the theory, showing that data that are said to refute the narrative of religious decline are easily explainable and in keeping with the broader tendency toward secularization.
Beyond simply defending secularization theory, the authors endeavor to formalize it, offering clear definitions of relevant terms and creating propositions that can be repeatedly and accurately tested. Beyond Doubt offers the strongest argument to date for the existence of a global secularization trend, and will be a vital resource for students and scholars alike who study religion and secularism.
Isabella Kasselstrand is Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Aberdeen.
Phil Zuckerman is Professor of Sociology at Pitzer College, and the founding chair of the nation’s first Secular Studies Program. He is the author of several books, including What It Means to be Moral, The Nonreligious, Living the Secular Life, Faith No More, and Society Without God, and the editor of several volumes, including The Oxford Handbook of Secularism and The Social Theory of W.E.B. Du Bois.
Ryan T. Cragun is Professor of Sociology at The University of Tampa and editor of The Palgrave Handbook of Global Mormonism and Organized Secularism in the United States.
"Sociology professors Kasselstrand, Zuckerman, and Cragun examine the rise of secularization in this edifying entry. The authors draw on rich empirical evidence and careful analysis to make their case, and the global perspective is both ambitious and rewarding. Religion students and scholars will find this illuminating." ~Publishers Weekly
"Emphatically argues that when empirical measures and rigorous definitions are applied, religion declines. ... The authors take aim at refuting the stances of sociologists Rodney Stark, Peter Berger, Grace Davie, Christian Smith, and others who said otherwise. They also sift through the global survey data on religious beliefs, behaviors, and belonging. From this, they posit that the rationalization and differentiation of modernism has had exactly the effect that secularization theory predicted it would: that religions will decline as societies develop." ~Library Journal
"Featuring multiple decades’ worth of extensive and comprehensive data, the authors defend and formalize secularization theory in a way that is compelling yet simple. Indeed, Beyond Doubt will be the defining text on the undeniable proof that secularization theory is correct and here to stay." ~Steve Bruce, author of Secularization: In Defence of an Unfashionable Theory
"Presents critics’ arguments against secularization theory fairly, yet the case the authors make I think critics will find difficult to reject. This book will make a significant contribution, not just to the sociology of religion, but to anyone interested in the role of religion in society today." ~Jesse M. Smith, co-editor of Secularity and Non-religion in North America
