Essays on Religion
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Georg Simmel; Edited and translated by Horst Jürgen Helle in collaboration with Ludwig Nieder; Foreword by Phillip E. Hammond
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The essays provide an excellent picture of the development of the characteristic doctrines of Simmel's thought as applied to religion, based on phenomenological analysis of human experience that emphasizes the subjective dimensions of life. The collection shows that Simmel was interested less in the forms that religions take than in what he calls a "particular spiritual quality" or "attitude of the soul"--a feeling of religiousness that precedes the forms of religion and may later be projected onto them. Viewing religion as primarily a quality of social relationships that can be analyzed in various contexts, Simmel makes a unique contribution to the sociological analysis of religion, as well as offering valuable insights for scientific consideration.
Published by arrangement with the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion
"In this fine edition Simmel proves himself a seminal thinker in both philosophy and sociology. The essays have a freshness and originality that belie their vintage, and the translation is a remarkable achievement."—Guy Oakes
"Not only sociologists of religion, but all students of religion will benefit from the publication of this book."—Phillip E. Hammond
"This is a well thought out, carefully edited book covering significant areas addressed by a thinker of some standing. That Simmel is of historic importance is not to be doubted."—David Large, Philosophy in Review
"With the publication of this volume, English-speaking sociologists will now need to add Georg Simmel to their short list of seminal sociological theorists of religion. Horst Jurgen Helle, in collaboration with the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion, has made a major contribution to Anglophone sociology by carefully translating everything Simmel wrote about religion and arranging the pieces in a single thematically coherent volume."—Contemporary Sociology
"The essays are diverse, . . . and provide an excellent window into Simmel's sociology and philosophy of religion."—Albert E. Gunn, Review of Metaphysics
Publication Date: October 8, 2013
Publishing Partner: Published by arrangement with the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion
