This chronologically organized book offers readers the opportunity to examine the development of religious thinking from the 18th-century Enlightenment through the 20th century. The contributions of all of the major social thinkers are considered in this thoughtful and integrative look at the classical roots of religious thought.

• Breadth of coverage.

  • Discusses virtually all of the thinkers whose contributions have come to be regarded as classical.

• Chapters on each thinker—Provided in historical order.

  • Enables students to see how thinkers' insights developed through time.

• Clear prose devoid of jargon.

  • Provides students with a text that clearly defines and explains technical terms.

• For Sociology departments, Religious Studies departments, Seminaries, and Schools of Theology.

  • Provides students from various departments with a text that gives serious, informed, high-quality, and systematic analyses of various thinkers. Enables instructors to pick and choose the thinkers they wish to assign to their students.