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Abstract

What is the relationship between the official teachings of religious bodies and the beliefs of individual adherents in the United States today? At first glance, this question appears rather straightforward. One simply needs to identify religious bodies, specify their teachings and empirically establish the connection between those teachings and adherents' beliefs. But establishing and of these elements is anything but simple. To begin to untangle this knotty subject, the author first uses a restrictive definition of religious bodies, teachings, and beliefs, focusing on the core doctrinal teachings of clearly identifiable religious denominations. He then steps back and takes a broader view of the situation using a less restrictive definition, exploring the influence of affiliation with religious “families” on individuals' moral beliefs. The author conclucdes with some thoughts about how both religion and the sociology of religion in America are moving beyond beliefs.

French

Quelle est aujourd'hui la relation entre les enseignements officiels des organes religieux et les croyances dles fidèles individuels aux États- Unis? Au premier abord, la réponse à cette question paraît plutôt claire. II suffirait simplement d'identifier les organes religieux, dle préciser leurs enseignements et d'établir empiriquement le lien entre ces enseignements et les croyances cles fidéles. Mais établir ces éléments est tout saufsimple. Afin dle démêler ce sujet epineux, I'auteur utilise d'abord une définition restrictive des organes religieux, des enseignements et cles croyances, en se focalisant sur les enseignements doctrinaux centraux de confessions religieuses clairement icdentifiables. II cdresse ensuite unie vue d'ensemble de la situation, en utilisant une definition moins restrictive et en explorant l'influence cle l'affiliation avec des 'familles" religieuses sur les croyances morales indivicluelles. L'auteur conclut avec quelques réflexions sur la manière dont à la fois la religion et la sociologie dle la religion aux États-Unis vont au-cdelà cles crovances.

Keywords

beliefs denominations doctrine post-denominationalism United States

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Beyond Beliefs: Religion and the Sociology of Religion in America

Abstract

Keywords

References