Based on an extensive survey and rigorous quantitative analysis, David Smilde and Matthew May conclude that, over the last thirty years, sociologists have increasingly come to figure religion as an “independent variable having causal impact,” suggesting the emergence of a “strong program” in the sociology of religion. This dramatic transformation, they argue, calls for sustained critical reflection on the evolving state of the sub-discipline.

Read Smilde and May’s “The Emerging Strong Program in the Sociology of Religion.”

Following this SSRC working paper’s publication, along with a subsequent manifesto calling for a “new sociology of religion”—by Courtney Bender, Wendy Cadge, Peggy Levitt, and David Smilde—several other sociologists have joined the conversation. Browse all posts in this discussion below.