For much of the twentieth century, it was assumed that quantitative methods would result in the most valuable, because generalisable, findings about religious behaviour and attitudes. The dominant theoretical tradition, the secularisation thesis often ignored the detail of the experiences or practices within particular religions, since it was assumed that these were backward looking or dying out. Today, by contrast, religion is more likely to be viewed positively in relation to a soulless and destructive modernity, and there is a great interest in religious experiences and practices. Alongside the ever present quantitative survey research, a significant portion of the revival of religious studies has been made up of qualitative case studies pursued by anthropologists and sociologists, using a range of methodologies including phenomenology, hermeneutics, narrative analysis and 'thick description' and also by 'micro' or 'interpretive' traditions in sociology.

Item Type:	Research Book Chapter
Keywords:	law, religion, sociology, interpretivism
Research Division:	Philosophy and Religious Studies
Research Group:	Religious studies
Research Field:	Comparative religious studies
Objective Division:	Culture and Society
Objective Group:	Religion
Objective Field:	Religion and society
UTAS Author:	Travers, M (Dr Max Travers)
UTAS Author:	Ezzy, D (Professor Douglas Ezzy)
ID Code:	136642
Year Published:	2019
Deposited By:	Office of the School of Social Sciences
Deposited On:	2020-01-11
Last Modified:	2021-03-16
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