Journal of Analytic Divinity

Yazarlar: Stuart MEWS

Konular:Din Bilimi

Anahtar Kelimeler:Talcott Parsons,Religion,Social Theory

Özet: Talcott Parsons is one of the most important representatives and founders of American Sociology. Described himself as an `incurable theorist' Parsons' lifelong endeavour has been the construction of a general all-embracing theory of human action. Throughout his career, Parsons has taken a professional interest in religion. Some of his critics have suggested that in the 1950s the main emphasis of his work shifted so as to reveal a positivistic bias. However, Parsons is not exactly a sociologist who can be described as a 'positivist'. Indeed Parsons insists that if the equation of religion and society is to be accepted at all the significant way of putting it is not "religion is a social phenomenon" so much as "society is a religious phenomenon". He greatly expanded the concept of 'religion' and argued that anything that 'provides ultimate values' can be considered 'religion'. Analyzing society and 'religion', one of the most important social phenomena, through emerging cybernetic models, Parsons has recently paid tribute to the multi-disciplinary approach to religion. Following the history of religion in terms of evolution and differentiation, Parsons defined the evolution of religion as the process of religion gradually separating from other areas of life and becoming increasingly autonomous.

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