Start together and finish together: Shifts in the premises and paradigms underlying the scientific study of religion

The main theme of this article is that the scientific study of religion passed through three stages in its development in the twentieth century. It was well integrated into the mainstream of early social science but by 1950 it had drifted into a more marginal position. The 1980s marked the beginning of a return to a more central position-not only because social scientists specializing in the study of religion were increasingly willing to adopt mainstream premises and paradigms but also because religion was becoming more interesting to other social scientists. Selected illustrations of this pattern of evolution focus on the sociology of knowledge, Marxism, new religious movements, post-modernity, feminism, globalization, and rational choice theory. The conclusion is that the social scientific study of religion is now taking up themes of much broader interest to many social scientists. It has become less defensive, more expansive, more contentious, and perhaps more interesting than it ever was.