宗教的原理主義などの興隆に伴い、宗教学・宗教社会学を越えて、政治学、公共政策、国際関係等の分野においても近年注目される「世俗化」理論についての重要文献を集成。Volume One explores the history and meaning of key terms: secular, secularism, secularity, secularization and laicity. Volume Two deals with the sociology of secularization and contains the classic statements by sociologists such as Max Weber, Georg Simmel, Bryan Wilson, David Martin, and Thomas Luckmann. Volume Three considers American exceptionalism. Volume Four involves the comparative sociology of modern religious revivalism and the notion that we are in a post-secular society. This volume looks at the revival of world religions and popular religions such as spirit possession in the post-co