While much work has been done to apply anthropological insights to the study of missions, the sociological perspective has been generally neglected by missiologists. This volume defines the sociology of missions as a discrete subdiscipline within the sociology of religion and provides a working set of conceptual resources for those involved in mission work to use in furthering their understanding of their task. The author reviews the major areas of sociology that are most relevant to missions and presents his findings as a basis for discussion and a stimulus to further exploration of relevant sociological concepts and theories. One of his main goals is to increase dialogue between missiologists and sociologists of religion, by providing the former with a sociological perspective and the latter with a deeper understanding of the missionary enterprise.

Research in the Social Scientific Study of Religion (RSSSR) publishes reports of innovative studies that pertain empirically or theoretically to the scientific study of religion, including spirituality, regardless of their academic discipline or professional orientation. It is academically eclectic, not restricted to any one particular theoretical orientation or research method. Most articles report the findings of quantitative or qualitative investigations, but some deal with methodology, theory, or applications of social science studies in the field of religion.

In June of 1910, delegates gathered in Edinburgh for the first World Missionary Conference. One hundred years later, the 2010 Church and Mission in a Multireligious Third Millennium conference sought to reconcile a century of seismic shifts in the worldwide landscape of the church with its ongoing mandate to make disciples of all nations. Arising out of that recent conference, Walk Humbly with the Lord presents a broad, multinational spectrum of contemporary approaches to both theology and missiology. Recognizing that the old Western notion of Christendom which formed the cultural backdrop of Edinburgh 1910 is now long obsolete, the book s twenty-seven forward-thinking contributors respond to globalization and the enormous growth of religious pluralism worldwide, offering reflections on the future of missiology and the relationship of church and mission. Together they speculate about the possible shape of Christianity in a multireligious age, as God works out new and unforeseen schemes in the reconciliation of the world. I wish I could have been at the conference from which this book comes! Viggo Mortensen and Andreas Nielsen have assembled a marvelous collection of reflections on mission that will be especially helpful to Christians committed to living faithfully and missionally in today s pluralistic world. If a new postsecular reality is emerging, as some are saying, these essays will help the church be a sign of hope and stability in such a new age. Stephen Bevans, SVD Catholic Theological Union, Chicago

This Fourth Edition of George Ritzer’s Introduction to Sociology shows students the relevance of sociology to their lives. While providing a rock-solid foundation, Ritzer illuminates traditional sociological concepts and theories, as well as some of the most compelling contemporary social phenomena: globalization, consumer culture, the digital world, and the “McDonaldization” of society. With examples on every page from current events and contemporary research, and stories about “public” sociologists who are engaging with the critical issues of today, the text demonstrates the power of sociology to explain the world, and the diversity of questions that sociologists seek to answer. New to this Edition New “Trending” boxes focus on influential books written by sociologists that have become part of the public conversation about important issues. Replacing “Public Sociology” boxes, these boxes demonstrate the diversity of sociology's practitioners, methods, and subject matter, and feature such authors as: Michelle Alexander (The New Jim Crow) Elizabeth Armstrong and Laura Hamilton (Paying for the Party) Randol Contreras (The Stick-Up Kids) Matthew Desmond (Evicted) Kimberly Hoang (Dealing in Desire) Arlie Hochschild (Strangers in Their Own Land) Eric Klinenberg (Going Solo) C.J. Pascoe (Dude, You're a Fag) Lori Peek and Alice Fothergill (Children of Katrina) Allison Pugh (The Tumbleweed Society)Updated examples in the text and "Digital Living" boxes keep pace with changes in digital technology and online practices, including Uber, bitcoin, net neutrality, digital privacy, WikiLeaks, and cyberactivism. New or updated subjects apply sociological thinking to the latest issues including: the 2016 U.S. election Brexit the global growth of ISIS climate change President Trump's proposed Mexican border wall further segmentation of wealthy Americans in the "super rich" transgender people in the U.S. armed forces charter schools the legalization of marijuana the Flint water crisis fourth-wave feminism

Work and Society is an important new text about the sociology of work and employment. It provides both undergraduate and postgraduate students of sociology, business and politics, with a firm and enjoyable foundation to this fascinating area of sociology, giving comprehensive coverage of traditional areas of the sub-discipline as well as new trends and developments. The book is divided into three complementary and interconnected sections – investigating work, work and social change and understanding work. These sections allow readers to explore themes, issues and approaches by examining how sociologists have thought about, and researched work and how the sub-discipline has been influenced by wider society itself. Novel features include separate chapters on researching work, domestic work, unemployment and work, and the representation of work in literary and visual media.

This volume explores and develops new social-scientific tools for the analysis and understanding of contemporary military missions in theatre. Despite the advent of new types of armed conflict, the social-scientific study of militaries in action continues to focus on tools developed in the hey-day of conventional wars. These tools focus on such classic issues as cohesion and leadership, communication and unit dynamics, or discipline and motivation. While these issues continue to be important, most studies focus on organic units (up to and including brigades). By contrast, this volume suggests the utility of concepts related to mission formations – as opposed to ‘units’ or ‘components’ – to better capture the (ongoing) processual nature of the amalgamations and combinations that military involvement in conflicts necessitates. The study of these formations by the social sciences – sociology, social psychology, anthropology, political science and organization science – requires the introduction of new analytical tools to the study of militaries in theatre. As such, this volume utilizes new approaches to social life, organizational dynamics and to armed violence to understand the place of the armed forces in contemporary conflicts and the new tasks they are assigned. This book will be of much interest to students of military studies, sociology, security studies and International Relations in general.

This book provides an historical, critical analysis of the doctrine of 'civilising mission' in Portuguese colonialism in the crucial period from 1870 to 1930. Exploring international contexts and transnational connections, this 'civilising mission' is analysed and assessed by examining the employment and distribution of African manpower.