Tales from a Life in the Sociology of Religion

From structural functionalism and social realism to a vastly different sociology and social context, keeping up with changes within the profession and in the object of study, society, has been a challenge. A burning desire to use what is known to build a better society and enhance the lives of all, but especially those less fortunate and trapped in structures of poverty, discrimination or abuse, has provided an ongoing motivation to discover what is and to work to make real what might be. In pursuing social justice, which is always a pursuit, I have found both sociology and theology, critically and tentatively received, to be very helpful. An allergy to the doctrinaire developed very early persists to the present as diversity continues to delight and enliven.