50868 - Rethinking Boundaries, Practices, and Paradigms in Contemporary Religious Life

Description

This session advances new theoretical and empirical approaches to understanding religion in a rapidly changing social landscape. It interrogates traditional paradigms by proposing more fluid and intersectional frameworks that better capture contemporary religious expression. Papers explore how individuals navigate and assemble religious meaning across institutional, cultural, and epistemological boundaries—whether through selective engagement with traditions, the interplay of spirituality and science, or the evolving dynamics of interfaith relationships. Collectively, the session rethinks core assumptions about religious identity, authority, and belonging, offering innovative perspectives on the complexity and adaptability of religion in modern life.

Sub Unit

• Section on Sociology of Religion / Section on Sociology of Religion Open Paper Sessions

Presider

• David E. Eagle, Duke University

Individual Presentations

• A Theory of Unbundled Religion - Ruth Braunstein, Johns Hopkins University; Jaime Lee Kucinskas, Hamilton College; Brian Steensland, Indiana University-Indianapolis; Daniel A. Winchester, Purdue University

• The Intersectional Roots of Complex Religion - Shaonta' E. Allen, Dartmouth College

• Science and Spirituality as Resonant Magisteria: Boundary Work in the American Spiritual Tradition - Bridget J. Ritz, University of Notre Dame; Galen Ing Watts, University of Waterloo

• Trends in Interfaith Marriage, Religious Composition, and Happiness among US Newlyweds from 1955 – 2022 - Justin Hendricks, Pennsylvania State University

Session Organizer

• Laura Upenieks, Baylor University