Myth, ritual, ethos and institutions are discussed in a theoretically consistent manner by reference to personal experience and institutional order. Individual chapters cover the linkages of religion and politics, religion and family life, and the secularization controversy. Alternative and complementary theories such as the paradigms of Durkheim, Marx, Freud and rational choice models receive some attention, but this is first and foremost a Weberian text. I am not necessarily criticizing the lens through which Swenson introduces us to the social history and contemporary social reality of religion in Canada and beyond. It is refreshing in its breadth and integration, even if the Weberian theme is a bit overpowering at times.
Individual experience is highlighted as is the impact of the sacred on the life of the believer.
While the first portion of the book is directed towards world religions and the historical context through which they have evolved, the remainder of the book is clearly a modern lens through which to understand spirituality and the quest for the sacred in contemporary society. Here, Swenson offers us a window to see the sacred within , the sacred between and the sacred among . Students will be able to locate their own private journey towards, or away from, organized religion and compare that to evidences of spiritual awakening in themselves or others. The book is a wonderful contribution to the Canadian market, for there is very little explicitly Canadian writing on the social scientific study of religion. It would be useful for upper level courses introducing religious studies students to social scientific thought, or for sociology students or students of social history engaged in the study of religious phenomena.