Sociology of Religion

Given the enormous importance of Martin’s approach for the understanding of religious change, an initiative to collect selections from his works and some of his classic articles can only be welcomed. I find the selections completely convincing; the range of topics and the historical erudition of the author are breathtaking. The book will be a major contribution to the global scholarly and the wider public debates on religion.

~Hans Joas, Humboldt University, Berlin, and University of Chicago

This comprehensive expression of the work of David Martin, one of the world's leading sociologists of religion and practitioners of comparative sociology, is extremely welcome. It will prove particularly important to the Chinese reader seeking to understand the varied societies of Europe and the Americas, for the diverse histories of these countries including their politics, wars, and economic development have been shaped by religion.

~Christie Davies, Emeritus Professor, University of Reading

This is a thorough representation of David Martin’s body of work as a whole. The book brings the reader back time and time again to Martin’s main interests: secularization, politics and religion, and religious language alongside sociological methods, to name the most important.

~Tom Riser, Nova Religio