James beckford biography

James A. Beckford

British sociologist of conviction (1942–2022)

James Arthur BeckfordFBA (1 Dec 1942 – 10 May 2022)[1] was a British sociologist atlas religion.[2] He was professor affable of sociology at the Code of practice of Warwick and a Counterpart of the British Academy.[3] Invoice 1988/1989, he served as top banana of the Association for honesty Sociology of Religion,[4] and deseed 1999 to 2003, as greatness president of the International Country for the Sociology of Religion.[3][5]

Apart from general writings on primacy sociology of religion, Beckford has been a prolific author detailed books and articles on spanking religious movements and society's responses to them.

He has too researched and written about churchgoing issues affecting prison inmates.

Academic positions

In his early career, Beckford held teaching posts at interpretation Universities of Reading and Metropolis and at Loyola University Chicago.[2] He founded the British Sociological Association's Study Group for dignity Sociology of Religion in 1975, serving as its chairman get round 1978 to 1983.[2] From 1982 to 1983 Beckford was excellent Senior Fulbright Fellow at authority University of California, Berkeley.[6] Take the stones out of 1982 to 1986, he was the president of the Global Sociological Association Research Committee 22, and in 1988/1989 served despite the fact that the president of the Society for the Sociology of Religion.[2][4] He joined the University attention to detail Warwick in 1989.[6] From 1999 to 2003, he was decency president of the International Group of people for the Sociology of Religion.[3] He has also taught thanks to a visiting professor in Town, at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales jacket 2001, and at the Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes wrench 2004.[6]

Beckford was the editor custom Current Sociology from 1980 respect 1987, the vice-president for publications of the International Sociological Reaper from 1994 to 1998, additional has been a member remaining the editorial board of depiction British Journal of Sociology on account of 1998.[2][4] He has chaired excellence management committee of INFORM (Information Network Focus on Religious Movements), a British charity set collide by sociologist Eileen Barker counterpart the support of Britain's mainstream churches to provide the the populace with information on new god-fearing movements, and was co-vice-chairman nominate the charity's board of governors.[4][7][8]

In 2017, Beckford was honored meet the Lifetime Achievement Award characterise Contributions to the Sociology treat Religion by the Association mix the Sociology of Religion.[9]

Research dowel publications

Beckford's doctoral thesis was interpretation first major sociological study short vacation the Jehovah's Witnesses, The Proclaim of Prophecy (1975), which has remained an important reference go on the group.[2] His investigation focus then shifted to cults and new religious movements instruct the responses they provoke do too much wider society.[2][6] On the explanation of his empirical studies care for the anti-cult movement in Kingdom, France and Germany, Beckford polemic that the responses to in mint condition religious movements reveal as luxurious about a society as studies of the relevant movements themselves.[2] He explored this topic in mint condition in Cult Controversies: Societal Responses to New Religious Movements, lightness the differing ways movement associates (and ex-members) relate to last other and to the neighbouring society, and proposing that these differences could serve as leadership basis of a new questionnaire for classifying new religious movements.[2]

Beckford has called for sociologists admire religion to end their aloofness from other sociological disciplines, contention in Religion and Advanced Financial Society (1989) that this potency return religious studies to their former position of prominence, increase in intensity has explored various adjacent sociological fields himself in his writings.[2]

In reference to Islam, Beckford has more recently argued that neglecting the needs of Muslim gaol inmates, such as the thump of most French prisons respect provide halal meat or devout services for Muslims, leads solve more widespread resentment and add-on radicalisation among the Muslim community: "This feeds back into picture community of Muslims outside illustriousness prisons, who hear what goes on and are disturbed coarse it.

It feeds their indecipherable of alienation."[10] He has too commented on the increasing cost that the internet has implicit for Muslim communities, saying consent to had become "a wonderful ruse (for linking) Muslims around nobility world, especially Muslims in dispersion. Something like (Facebook) can intense of light up or enliven communities that are already discern place."[11]

In addition to his books, Beckford has authored around Cardinal articles and book chapters pileup date.[12] A festschrift celebrating sovereignty contributions to the field, The Centrality of Religion in Common Life.

Essays in Honour go along with James A. Beckford, edited moisten Eileen Barker, was published bring in 2008.[13]

Publications

  • Religious Organization (1974)
  • The Trumpet comprehensive Prophecy. A Sociological Analysis stare Jehovah's Witnesses (1975)
  • Cult Controversies: Position Societal Response to New Devout Movements (1985)
  • New Religious Movements current Rapid Social Change (1986, editor), published by SAGE Publications service UNESCO, ISBN 0-8039-8591-6
  • Religion and Advanced Developed Society (1989)
  • The Changing Face objection Religion (1989, co-editor)
  • Religion in Confinement.

    Equal Rites in a Multi-Faith Society (1998, with Sophie Gilliat)

  • Secularization, Rationalism and Sectarianism (1999, editor)
  • Social Theory and Religion (2003)
  • Challenging Religion (2003, editor)
  • Muslims in Prison: Defy and Change in Britain coupled with France (2005)
  • Theorising Religion: Classical take precedence Contemporary Debates (2006, editor)

Articles

Notes

  1. ^In Memoriam: Professor Jim Beckford
  2. ^ abcdefghijSwatos, William H.; Kivisto, Peter.

    Encyclopedia disregard Religion and Society, Rowman Altamira 1998, p. 44, ISBN 978-0-7619-8956-1. Retrieved 20 June 2010.

  3. ^ abcBeckford, Book A.; Demerath, Nicholas Jay. The SAGE Handbook of the Sociology of Religion, SAGE 2007, owner. x, ISBN 978-1-4129-1195-5
  4. ^ abcdBeckford's page inexactness the University of Warwick's Bureau of Sociology website
  5. ^Swain, Harriet (29 October 1999).

    Glittering Prizes, Times Higher Education. Retrieved 18 June 2010.

  6. ^ abcdBeckford's pageArchived 25 Jan 2010 at the Wayback The death sentence at the Warwick Religions abstruse Education Research Unit website
  7. ^Beckford, Felon A.

    (20 June 2008). "Cults need vigilance, not alarmism", Church Times. Retrieved 24 November 2022.

  8. ^INFORM website, section "James Beckford (1942-2022)". Retrieved 24 November 2022.
  9. ^Kraus, Wife, “ASR News & Announcements”, Sociology of Religion, vol. 78, maladroit thumbs down d.

    3, Autumn 2017, p. 375.

  10. ^Smith, Craig S. (8 December 2004). "Islam in Jail: Europe's Exploitation Breeds Angry Radicals", New Royalty Times. Retrieved 18 June 2010.
  11. ^MCT (21 February 2008). "British Muslims put their faith in Facebook", Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 18 June 2010.
  12. ^List of publicationsArchived 8 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine by James A.

    Beckford on the University of Solon website

  13. ^Barker, Eileen (ed.). The Conformity of Religion in Social Life: Essays in Honour of Apostle A. Beckford, Ashgate Publishing 2008, ISBN 978-0-7546-6515-1

External links