The enchantment of sociology : a study of theology and culture /

Flanagan hopes to bridge the divide between postmodern cultural studies and theology, seeking an enchantment of secular sociology. She likens the sociological analyses of modernity (Max Weber's assessment of the disenchanted, overrationalized iron cage and Georg Simmel's tragedy of culture) to a futile Faustian quest. Postmodern sociologists, such as Anthony Giddens and Pierre Bourdieu, conduct outlaw raids as outsiders seeking to explain the dynamics of fragmented, "spiritually lobotomized selves." Cultural reproduction serves the commodification of cultural "products," including the marketplace of religious lifestyles. The author devotes two chapters to secularization, the persistence of religious faith, and the search for the sacred as the foundation for the enchantment of sociology, exemplified by the theology of Hans Urs von Balthasar, who synthesizes the Christian mythos with Erving Goffman's dramaturgy. In this manner, sociological theory and theology can together address the crises of postmodern societies and offer a comprehensive life philosophy for persons seeking answers to questions of ultimate meaning. Although many will dispute the enchantment of sociology, Flanagan's discussion of sociological theory and contemporary theology deserves a broad interdisciplinary readership. Upper-division undergraduates and above. J. H. Rubin Saint Joseph College