{"title":"Sociology of Religion","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"betweengodandgangstarap-bearingwitnesstoblackculture","title":"Between God and Gangsta Rap: Bearing Witness to Black Culture","description":"A former welfare father from the ghetto of Detroit, Michael Eric Dyson is today a critic, scholar, and ordained Baptist minister who has forged a unique role: he is a compelling spokesman for the concerns of the black community, and also a leader who has a genuine rapport with that community, particularly with urban youth. In his essays, lectures, sermons, and books, he has emerged as one of the leading African-American voices of our day.\nDyson's passion for contemporary black culture informs Between God and Gangsta' Rap, his latest foray into the ongoing debate about African-American identity which embraces the hopes of the church and the cool reality of hip-hop. Bringing together writings on music, religion, politics, and identity, and offering a multi-faceted view of black life, the book charts the progress of Dyson's own soul, from his roots in the Detroit ghetto, to his current status as a Baptist minister, professor, cultural critic, husband, and father. Dyson opens with a letter to his brother, who is serving life in prison on a murder charge. This painful piece reveals a violence in the author's own family that sets the tone for themes that will emerge throughout these writings: violence on the black body and soul; the redemptive power of hope through school, church, and family; sexuality as a source of anguish and of joy; and the struggle with entrenched white racism. There is a section of wonderful profiles Dyson calls \"Testimonials\"--studies of black men, from O.J. Simpson to Marion Barry, and from Baptist preacher Gardner Taylor to Michael Jordan and Sam Cooke. In \"Obsessed with O.J.,\" Dyson offers an extremely personal and insightful series of reflections on the case. In \"Lessons,\" Dyson takes up the subjects of politics and racial identity. Newt Gingrich and moral panic, Quabiliah Shabazz, Carol Moseley Braun, the NAACP, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Malcolm X all figure in these insightful and accessible pieces. And \"Songs of Celebration\" draws from Dyson's writings for the popular press such as Rolling Stone and Vibe, and explores the joys and pitfalls of black expression, from the black vernacular bible to gospel music, R \u0026amp; B, and hip-hop. Dyson concludes with an essay framed as a letter to his wife, which offers a positive counterbalance to the opening address to his brother. The letter serves as a tribute to the redemptive powers of love, the black family, spirit, and change.\nArguing that the richness of black culture today can be found in the interstices--between god and gangsta' rap--Dyson charts the progress and pain of African Americans over the past decade, showing that brilliance and beauty, pain and drudgery are components of this changing culture. As a compendium of his thinking about contemporary culture Between God and Gangsta' Rap will find a wide audience among black and white readers., ISBN13: 9780195115697 ISBN10: 0195115694 Material Type: paperback","brand":"CheapBookDepot","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46107806335139,"sku":"A-STR_UBD_H00010WG","price":10.58,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0607\/9227\/5107\/files\/71LvkJjiRGL.jpg?v=1754536588"},{"product_id":"straight-narrow-compassion-clarity-in-the-homosexuality-debate","title":"Straight \u0026 Narrow?: Compassion Clarity in the Homosexuality Debate","description":"\u003cp\u003eVoted one of Christianity Today's 1996 Books of the YearToo often, Thomas Schmidt writes, the charged battle over homosexuality generates slogans and accusations--obscuring the struggling persons at the center of the argument.In this book Schmidt brings the discussion back into empathetic contact with the circumstances and the choices of individuals. At the same time he offers thoroughly researched and up-to-date information and assessment from an evangelical Christian perspective on all the main points of the debate. He includes chapters on what the Bible really says (and means) about homosexuality, the health effects of homosexual behavior, whether or not people are born with homosexual orientations, and the cogency of recent progay reconstructions of history such as John Boswell's., ISBN13: 9780830818587 ISBN10: 0830818588 Material Type: paperback\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"CheapBookDepot","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46115036102819,"sku":"A_STR_H0000KPO","price":4.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0607\/9227\/5107\/files\/61oNKpOeWVL.jpg?v=1754739170"},{"product_id":"sacred-ground-pluralism-prejudice-and-the-promise-of-america","title":"Sacred Ground: Pluralism, Prejudice, and the Promise of America","description":"\u003cp\u003eA “thought-provoking, myth-smashing” exploration of American identity and a passionate call for a more tolerant, interfaith America (Madeleine Albright, former Secretary of State)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThere is no better time to stand up for your values than when they are under attack. Alarmist, hateful rhetoric once relegated to the fringes of political discourse has now become frighteningly mainstream, with pundits and politicians routinely invoking the specter of Islam as a menacing, deeply anti-American force.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn Sacred Ground, author and renowned interfaith leader Eboo Patel says this prejudice is not just a problem for Muslims but a challenge to the very idea of America. Patel shows us that Americans from George Washington to Martin Luther King Jr. have been “interfaith leaders,” illustrating how the forces of pluralism in America have time and again defeated the forces of prejudice. And now a new generation needs to rise up and confront the anti-Muslim prejudice of our era. To this end, Patel offers a primer in the art and science of interfaith work, bringing to life the growing body of research on how faith can be a bridge of cooperation rather than a barrier of division and sharing stories from the frontlines of interfaith activism.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ePatel asks us to share in his vision of a better America—a robustly pluralistic country in which our commonalities are more important than our differences, and in which difference enriches, rather than threatens, our religious traditions. Pluralism, Patel boldly argues, is at the heart of the American project, and this visionary book will inspire Americans of all faiths to make this country a place where diverse traditions can thrive side by side., ISBN13: 9780807077481 ISBN10: 0807077488 Material Type: hardcover\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"CheapBookDepot","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46115113795747,"sku":"A-STR_UBD_H0000QX1","price":7.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0607\/9227\/5107\/files\/91EHJ7HX5vL.jpg?v=1754741910"},{"product_id":"our-endangered-values-americas-moral-crisis","title":"Our Endangered Values: America's Moral Crisis","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Nobel Peace Prize-winning former president and author of Sharing Good Times shares his personal views on moral values as they relate to key issues today, evaluating the controversial and increasing intersection between religious and political arenas. 250,000 first printing., ISBN13: 9780743284578 ISBN10: 0743284577 Material Type: hardcover\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"CheapBookDepot","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46124502876323,"sku":"A-STR_UBD_H0000YDQ","price":7.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0607\/9227\/5107\/files\/81JahwtEsnL_d52efd5c-2886-47f9-b71f-be5e767f82e4.jpg?v=1754809518"},{"product_id":"at-the-entrance-to-the-garden-of-eden-a-jews-search-for-god-with-christians-and-muslims-in-the-holy-land","title":"At the Entrance to the Garden of Eden: A Jew's Search for God with Christians and Muslims in the Holy Land","description":"\u003cp\u003eA brilliantly observed memoir of an unprecedented and remarkable spiritual journey.\u003cbr\u003e\n“One of the most important spiritual memoirs of our time.” —Krista Tippett, host of the radio program, On Being\u003cbr\u003e\nWhile religion has fueled the often violent conflict plaguing the Holy Land, Yossi Klein Halevi wondered whether it could be a source of unity as well. To find the answer, this religious Israeli Jew began a two-year exploration to discover a common language with his Christian and Muslim neighbors. He followed their holiday cycles, befriended Christian monastics and Islamic mystics, and joined them in prayer in monasteries and mosques in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza.\u003cbr\u003e\nAt the Entrance to the Garden of Eden traces that remarkable spiritual journey. Halevi candidly reveals how he fought to reconcile his own fears and anger as a Jew to relate to Christians and Muslims as fellow spiritual seekers. He chronicles the difficulty of overcoming multiple obstacles—theological, political, historical, and psychological—that separate believers of the three monotheistic faiths. And he introduces a diverse range of people attempting to reconcile the dichotomous heart of this sacred place—a struggle central to Israel, but which resonates for us all., ISBN13: 9780688169084 ISBN10: 0688169082 Material Type: hardcover\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"CheapBookDepot","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46124547997859,"sku":"CH_01-31-25_PHA_H00001QB","price":20.58,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0607\/9227\/5107\/files\/81P0ogEprPL.jpg?v=1754812273"},{"product_id":"the-end-of-faith-religion-terror-and-the-future-of-reason-1","title":"The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason","description":"\u003cp\u003eAn impassioned plea for reason in a world divided by faith. This important and timely book delivers a startling analysis of the clash of faith and reason in today's world. Harris offers a vivid historical tour of mankind's willingness to suspend reason in favor of religious beliefs, even when those beliefs are used to justify harmful behavior and sometimes heinous crimes. He asserts that in the shadow of weapons of mass destruction, we can no longer tolerate views that pit one true god against another. Most controversially, he argues that we cannot afford moderate lip service to religion―an accommodation that only blinds us to the real perils of fundamentalism. While warning against the encroachment of organized religion into world politics, Harris also draws on new evidence from neuroscience and insights from philosophy to explore spirituality as a biological, brain-based need. He calls on us to invoke that need in taking a secular humanistic approach to solving the problems of this world., ISBN13: 9780393035155 ISBN10: 0393035158 Material Type: hardcover\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"CheapBookDepot","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46124995412131,"sku":"NC-STR_UBD_H0000M9M","price":11.25,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0607\/9227\/5107\/files\/61wGL97B-HL.jpg?v=1754836317"},{"product_id":"faith-no-more-why-people-reject-religion-1","title":"Faith No More: Why People Reject Religion","description":"\u003cp\u003eDuring his 2009 inaugural speech, President Obama described the United States as a nation of \"Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus--and nonbelievers.\" It was the first time an American president had acknowledged the existence of this rapidly growing segment of the population in such a public forum. And yet the reasons why more and more people are turning away from religion are still poorly understood.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn Faith No More, Phil Zuckerman draws on in-depth interviews with people who have left religion to find out what's really behind the process of losing one's faith. According to a 2008 study, so many Americans claim no religion (15%, up from 8% in 1990) that this category now outranks every other religious group except Catholics and Baptists. Exploring the deeper stories within such survey data, Zuckerman shows that leaving one's faith is a highly personal, complex, and drawn-out process. And he finds that, rather than the cliché of the angry, nihilistic atheist, apostates are life-affirming, courageous, highly intelligent and inquisitive, and deeply moral. Zuckerman predicts that this trend toward nonbelief will likely continue and argues that the sooner we recognize that religion is frequently and freely rejected by all sorts of men and women, the sooner our understanding of the human condition will improve.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe first book of its kind, Faith No More will appeal to anyone interested in the \"New Atheism\" and indeed to anyone wishing to more fully understand our changing relationship to religious faith., ISBN13: 9780199740017 ISBN10: 0199740011 Material Type: hardcover\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"CheapBookDepot","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46126590886051,"sku":"A_05-31-25_H0000GFG","price":10.58,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0607\/9227\/5107\/files\/41jT9UkW0rL_969eb430-f87c-4bfa-8b70-13ea3595e104.jpg?v=1754895105"},{"product_id":"faith-no-more-why-people-reject-religion","title":"Faith No More: Why People Reject Religion","description":"\u003cp\u003eDuring his 2009 inaugural speech, President Obama described the United States as a nation of \"Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus--and nonbelievers.\" It was the first time an American president had acknowledged the existence of this rapidly growing segment of the population in such a public forum. And yet the reasons why more and more people are turning away from religion are still poorly understood.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn Faith No More, Phil Zuckerman draws on in-depth interviews with people who have left religion to find out what's really behind the process of losing one's faith. According to a 2008 study, so many Americans claim no religion (15%, up from 8% in 1990) that this category now outranks every other religious group except Catholics and Baptists. Exploring the deeper stories within such survey data, Zuckerman shows that leaving one's faith is a highly personal, complex, and drawn-out process. And he finds that, rather than the cliché of the angry, nihilistic atheist, apostates are life-affirming, courageous, highly intelligent and inquisitive, and deeply moral. Zuckerman predicts that this trend toward nonbelief will likely continue and argues that the sooner we recognize that religion is frequently and freely rejected by all sorts of men and women, the sooner our understanding of the human condition will improve.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe first book of its kind, Faith No More will appeal to anyone interested in the \"New Atheism\" and indeed to anyone wishing to more fully understand our changing relationship to religious faith., ISBN13: 9780199740017 ISBN10: 0199740011 Material Type: hardcover\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"CheapBookDepot","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46126590918819,"sku":"A_05-31-25_H0000GF8","price":10.58,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0607\/9227\/5107\/files\/41jT9UkW0rL.jpg?v=1754895108"},{"product_id":"soul-searching-the-religious-and-spiritual-lives-of-american-teenagers","title":"Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn innumerable discussions and activities dedicated to better understanding and helping teenagers, one aspect of teenage life is curiously overlooked. Very few such efforts pay serious attention to the role of religion and spirituality in the lives of American adolescents. But many teenagers are very involved in religion. Surveys reveal that 35% attend religious services weekly and another 15% attend at least monthly. 60% say that religious faith is important in their lives. 40% report that they pray daily. 25% say that they have been \"born again.\" Teenagers feel good about the congregations they belong to. Some say that faith provides them with guidance and resources for knowing how to live well. What is going on in the religious and spiritual lives of American teenagers? What do they actually believe? What religious practices do they engage in? Do they expect to remain loyal to the faith of their parents? Or are they abandoning traditional religious institutions in search of a new, more authentic \"spirituality\"? This book attempts to answer these and related questions as definitively as possible. It reports the findings of The National Study of Youth and Religion, the largest and most detailed such study ever undertaken. The NYSR conducted a nationwide telephone survey of teens and significant caregivers, as well as nearly 300 in-depth face-to-face interviews with a sample of the population that was surveyed. The results show that religion and spirituality are indeed very significant in the lives of many American teenagers. Among many other discoveries, they find that teenagers are far more influenced by the religious beliefs and practices of their parents and caregivers than commonly thought. They refute the conventional wisdom that teens are \"spiritual but not religious.\" And they confirm that greater religiosity is significantly associated with more positive adolescent life outcomes. This eagerly-awaited volume not only provides an unprecedented understanding of adolescent religion and spirituality but, because teenagers serve as bellwethers for possible future trends, it affords an important and distinctive window through which to observe and assess the current state and future direction of American religion as a whole., ISBN13: 9780195180954 ISBN10: 019518095X Material Type: hardcover\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"CheapBookDepot","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46126595539107,"sku":"A_STR_H0000KUW","price":10.8,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0607\/9227\/5107\/files\/71edCVppy_L.jpg?v=1754895312"}],"url":"https:\/\/usedbookdepot.com\/collections\/sociology-of-religion.oembed","provider":"Used Book Depot","version":"1.0","type":"link"}