Sociology, Religion and Grace

Routledge Advances in Sociology

by Arpad Szakolczai

This book offers a sociological analysis of the Renaissance, focusing on the concept of grace, and the unity that exists between its various theological, anthropological (gift-giving, Mauss; and sociability, Simmel), and aesthetical (beauty and gracefulness). Since the seminal work of Max Weber rooted capitalism, and thus the modern world, in the Protestant ethic, interest in the Renaissance among social scientists has been minimal. However, this book argues that the heart of the European tradition lies in a series of renascences, going back to Minoan Crete and its rebirth in classical Greek civilisation, during an earlier global age. The Renaissance forged a novel unity between the Judaic-prophetic and Minoan-Athenian traditions, renewing grace in all its aspects and thus revitalising Europe. This attempt tragically failed and the modern world is the outcome of this explosion. All this has vital contemporary relevance, as the classical European tradition is still a unique source suggesting a way out of the spiralling logic of globalisation.

416 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Arpad Szakolczai is Professor of Sociology at University College Cork. His recent books include Comedy and the Public Sphere (2013), Permanent Liminality and Modernity (2017), and Walking into the Void: A Historical Sociology and Political Anthropology of Walking (with Agnes Horvath, 2018).