Swatos, William H. Jr.

Twentieth-Century World Religious Movements in Neo-Weberian Perspective

1992 0-7734-9550-9
These essays seek to apply the conceptual apparatus pioneered by Max Weber in his studies of the major world religions to developments in religious traditions around the globe over the past century. Topics covered include the continuing legacy of Confucianism and Taoism in Chinese culture; neo-Confucianism in Singapore schools; political religion in Communist China; Zen Buddhism in the United States and Japan; Buddhist reinterpretation in Sri Lanka; the role of the Ayatollah Khomeini in the Iranian revolution; Russian sectarianism; the Protestant ethic introduced by the Basel Mission in Ghana; charismatic Christianity in South Africa and North America; Protestant and Catholic movements in Latin America; Church of England parishes in New Towns; Protestant-Catholic agendas in Northern Ireland; the ordination of women in the Anglican Communion; and a California flying-saucer cult. Shows in rich detail that a neo-Weberian approach is relevant to present-day developments and therefore potentially futuritive.