The liberalization of concealed carry laws over the past several decades represents a dramatic expansion of the right to bear arms in the United States. Concealed Carry Revolution offers the first comprehensive but concise history of the development of these laws, from the restricted era of gun carry in the 19th century, through discretionary permitting systems in the 20th century, to today’s shall issue and permitless carry regimes.
The Seventh Edition departs from previous editions by emphasizing that the sociology of religion is an ongoing conversation among scholars in dialogue with existing scholarship and the social world. At every opportunity, the text has been enriched by research and examples that are meant to challenge parochial limits in the sociology of religion, pushing beyond Christianity, congregations, beliefs, national borders (especially the United States), and even beyond religion itself (to take nonreligion more seriously).
The Handbook of Religion and Society is the most comprehensive and up-to-date treatment of a vital force in the world today. It is an indispensable resource for scholars, students, policy makers, and other professionals seeking to understand the role of religion in society. This includes both the social forces that shape religion and the social consequences of religion.
Drawing on years of observational fieldwork and candid interviews with more than 200 individuals undergoing the initiation process, Yamane follows would-be Catholics through all four stages of the RCIA and offers an incisive new perspective on what it means to choose Catholicism in America today.
The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) is too often presented as an abstract ideal, detached from the actual parish settings in which it is implemented. This study takes the opposite approach. Based on data from participant observation and interviews, the authors tell real stories of the initiation process in five U.S. parishes. From these stories collectively they draw lessons for the RCIA as well as lessons from the RCIA for the church as a whole.
The political advocacy of the American Catholic Bishops at the state level is one of the Church’s best-kept secrets. In this groundbreaking work, David Yamane reveals the rich history, accomplishments, and challenges of bishops and their lay colleagues in local politics. Yamane explains how the local Catholic advocacy organizations in thirty-three states and Washington, D.C., negotiate the tension between the prophetic demands of faith and the political realities of secular political institutions.
In the four decades ending in the year 2000, the number of priests will decline by 40%. Schoenherr sees the priest shortage as the major force for change within the Catholic Church and explores the reasons for the decline as well as its broad implications for the church. He predicts that the shortage, along with the feminist movement among nuns and laywomen, doctrinal changes, and the growing pluralism in the church will lead to the end of mandatory celibacy, albeit after bitter clashes with conservative forces.
Sociologist David Yamane explores efforts by students and others to address racism and racial inequality―to challenge the color line―in higher education. Student Movements for Multiculturalism makes an important contribution to our understanding of how curricular change occurs and concludes that multiculturalism represents an opening, not a closing, of the American mind.
DAVID YAMANE 