Religion, Rationality, and Experience: A Response to the New Rational Choice Theory of Religion

Jerolmack, Colin; Porpora, Douglas V.

doi:10.1111/j.1467-9558.2004.00208.x

Cited by 34 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…8 This is a counterintuitive and controversial claim that has attracted much criticism (Bruce, 1999;Jerolmack & Porpora, 2004). It would seem that much scepticism originates from the strictly utilitarian assumptions of this claim (Iannaccone, 1995;Stark & Finke, 2000:39) and, more generally, of the rational choice approach, at least in some of its mainstream formulations.…”

Section: The Successful Adaptation Outside Japanmentioning

confidence: 92%

A Neo-Durkheimian analysis of a new religious movement: The case of Soka Gakkai in Italy

Barone

2007

Theor Soc

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Soka Gakkai is one of the world's fastest-growing religious movements and Italy figures among the western nations where this religious group has been most successful. This article aims at explaining this success-story: why has Soka Gakkai, and particularly its Italian affiliation, grown so rapidly in recent years? This research question gives the opportunity to assess the applicability of the economic theory of religion to the growth of new religious movements. Hence, in order to explain the expansion of Soka Gakkai, this work begins with an examination of the adaptive strategies developed by a Japanese organization in the Italian religious market. It is claimed, however, that a rational choice explanation cannot stand on its own and that we must take into account the dynamics of pre-contractual solidarity that promote trust, especially when the expected benefits promised by this organization to its adherents do not materialize. Moreover, these solidarity dynamics generate intense emotional gratification that works as a highly motivating incentive to sustain members' commitment and to prevent them from dropping out. This pre-contractual solidarity is actively produced and continuously reproduced by means of ritual interaction along the lines suggested by Collins's theory.My goal is to bring real theories into sociology, not to found a new theoretical sect. So, rather than suggest that rational choice theories are the future of sociology, I would suggest that, for the future of sociology, theory is the only rational choice.

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Section: The Successful Adaptation Outside Japanmentioning

confidence: 92%

A Neo-Durkheimian analysis of a new religious movement: The case of Soka Gakkai in Italy

Barone

2007

Theor Soc

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“…to conform to a moral value or ideal) or the epistemic rationality (i.e. to hold beliefs grounded on religious experience and religious emotions) (Mitchell, 2007) will be depicted in section 3.3 as a dynamic extension of the suggested model, although the latter applies to beliefs more than behaviours (Jerolmack and Porpora, 2004), and the former could not explain religious conversions (Barro and Hwang, 2007). In section 4 we will see that empirical research estimates rationality as the access to education and information, the number of scientists and engineers per capita, … (Welsh, 2003).…”

Section: The Analytical Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

Which Ethics Will Make us Individually and Socially Happier? A Cross-Culture and Cross-Development Analytical Model

Zagonari

2009

J Happiness Stud

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This paper provides an analytical model representing four polar ethical approaches, by linking them to the main ethics suggested by the philosophical, psychological, and socio-economic literature. Moreover, it develops the analytical model in order to obtain rankings of the 4 polar ethical approaches in terms of happiness and, consequently, to provide insights on which ethical approach should be adopted by each individual, according to his characteristics (income level, in DCs or in LDCs, aspiration level): some dynamics are predicted, if the Golden and the Copper rules are applied. Finally, this paper provides insights on which ethical approach should be adopted by each society, according to its characteristics (DCs or LDCs, social distribution of aspiration levels), by predicting happiness levels in alternative countries, according to the prevailing ethics, and by comparing these predictions with the observed happiness levels, in order to provide an empirical test of the analytical model: some dynamics are predicted, with non-Protestant DCs moving to higher, and Protestant DCs towards lower, happiness levels (conditioned to the per capita income), due to the increasing and decreasing rejection of the Golden and Copper rules, respectively, and with LDCs moving to lower (conditioned to the increasing per capita income) in the short-run and higher happiness levels in the long run, by establishing and entertaining conditions that set clear incentives for moral behaviour, in order to increase and decrease the adoption of the Golden and Copper rules, respectively. 2

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“…Furthermore, while we agree with Alexander that culture is heavily influenced by religion, we note that even traditional religious life involves a certain, culturallybound, synthesis of emotion and rationality (see Collins 1993, Jerolmack andPorpora 2004, on emotion and rationality in religion). In contrast to the classic Durkheimian approach to religion, a growing literature in the sociology of religion shows the important role of rationality in religious life, applying RCT to the field (for example see Young 1997;Rodney and Bainbridge 1987;Iannaccone 1995;Verter 2003;Sherkat and Wilson 1995;Bankston 2002Bankston , 2003Stark 1999;Ellison 1995;Chaves 1995) As Frank Dobbin writes: "By neglecting rationality as a cultural construct we have acted the part of indigenous anthropologists who treat every aspect of social life as cultural except the elaborate, purposive customs designed to win the deity's help with the crop yield and fertility" (Dobbin 1994, p. 118).…”

Section: Rationality Emotion and Culturementioning

confidence: 80%

An odd and inseparable couple: Emotion and rationality in partner selection

Illouz

Finkelman

2009

Theor Soc

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The dichotomy between emotion and rationality has been one of the most enduring of sociological theory. This article attempts to bypass this dichotomy by examining how emotion and rationality are conjoined in the practice of the choice of a mate. We posit the fundamental role of culture in determining the nature of this intertwinement. We explore the culturally embedded intertwining of emotion and rationality through the notion of modal configuration. Modal configuration includes five key features: reflexivity, techniques, modal emphasis, modal overlap, and modal sequencing. We apply this framework to the topic of partner selection. Comparing primary and secondary sources on pre-modern partner selection and on internet dating, we show that emotion and rationality were intertwined in both periods but that what differs between them is precisely the emotion-rationality modality.The distinction and opposition between rationality and emotion have been the touchstone of Western philosophical conceptions of human nature, and have obliquely penetrated sociological theory. As Neil Smelser pointed out in his 1997 ASA presidential address, in sociology, the conceptual gap between rational choice theory and anti-rationalist trends (cultural studies, postmodernism, neo-Marxism, critical theory, and some schools of phenomenology and feminism), has led to "a polarization between various kinds of rationality and a reactive anti-rationality" (Smelser 1998, p. 3). Both sides of this debate-rational choice theory and the so-called anti-rationalist trends-have tended to portray rationality and emotion as mutually exclusive categories of action, thus perpetuating and further reinforcing the dichotomy.In the last two decades however, this dichotomy has grown increasingly difficult to sustain. The challenge has come from several fronts. Reviving a Humean approach to reason, neuropsychologist Antonio Damasio argued in a groundbreaking work that emotion and reason are contiguous with each other and that effective rational decision-making is actually predicated on emotional processes, thus making Theor Soc (2009) 38:401-422

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Religion, Rationality, and Experience: A Response to the New Rational Choice Theory of Religion

Cited by 34 publications

References 30 publications

A Neo-Durkheimian analysis of a new religious movement: The case of Soka Gakkai in Italy

A Neo-Durkheimian analysis of a new religious movement: The case of Soka Gakkai in Italy

Which Ethics Will Make us Individually and Socially Happier? A Cross-Culture and Cross-Development Analytical Model

An odd and inseparable couple: Emotion and rationality in partner selection

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