A Theory of Unbundled Religion

• In Event: 50868 - Rethinking Boundaries, Practices, and Paradigms in Contemporary Religious Life

Abstract

Much recent sociological work on American religion is written outside the field’s two established paradigms: secularization theory and the 1990’s “religious economies” paradigm. Drawing together strands of recent theoretical innovation and a review of contemporary religious developments that challenge the existing paradigms, we introduce elements of a 21st century paradigm for American religion. Our two orienting claims are that American religion has become “unbundled” and that the boundaries of the religious field have become increasingly porous. We demonstrate the value of our approach by showing how two major religious traditions, Christianity and Buddhism, have become unbundled. In both cases, our approach positions us to apprehend a range of phenomena, including à la carte unbundled elements that do religion-like work; alternative quasi-religious, secular and contested bundles that compete for attention and devotion with traditional religion; and traditional religious bundles that adapt to fit this new de facto unbundled landscape. Lastly, we assess the implications of our approach for scholars of religion, for sociology as a field, and for American society writ large.

Authors

• Ruth Braunstein, Johns Hopkins University

• Jaime Lee Kucinskas, Hamilton College

• Brian Steensland, Indiana University-Indianapolis

• Daniel A. Winchester, Purdue University