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Stark's age of faith argument and the secularization of things: a commentary.

From: Sociology of Religion  |  Date: 9/22/2002  |  Author: Sommerville, C. John

Rodney Stark has recently argued that secularization theory stands or falls with the historical existence of an "age of faith," which is thought to present a contrast with our present religiously-mixed situation. He presents much recent evidence that the medieval period does not fit that description. But he misconceives the issues. First, faith is not the most natural description of medieval religion, which is better seen as religious culture. As Lucien Febver pointed out, those populations ...

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