Rationalisierung und säkulare Gesellschaft

This collection of articles and lectures discusses the contributions of some of the most outstanding figures in the field of research on religion, like Durkheim, Weber, Geertz and Bourdieu. A second focus is on the heated debates on religion as a concept, modernization, secularization and the effects of globalization on religion. While accepting many points of criticism the concepts are still found to be useful. The same applies to fundamentalism and political religion. To provincialize Europe reference is made to India throughout the texts.