Explores sociological concepts such as secularisation and the multiple modernisation thesis, re-enchantment, and the McDonaldisation of society; while addressing contemporary phenomenon within, for example, Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, New Age, and Witchcraft groups.

INTRODUCTION: Xers AND Yers AS COHORTS OF THE POST 1970'S GENERATIONChapter 1: RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY AND THE POLITICS OF DEFINITIONChapter 2: RELIGION AND POPULAR CULTUREChapter 3: RELIGION AND MODERNITY: MARX, DURKHEIM AND WEBERChapter 4: RELIGION, SPIRITUALITY & THE POST-SECULARISATION APPROACHChapter 5: RELIGION & POSTMODERNITY (PART A): CONSUMER RELIGIONSChapter 6: RELIGION & POSTMODERNITY (PART B): HYPER-REALITY AND THE INTERNETChapter 7: ESOTERICISM, ITS MCDONALDISATION AND ITS RE-ENCHANTMENT PROCESSChapter 8: MONOTHEISTIC FUNDAMENTALISM(S) AS AN OUTCOME OF CONSUMER CULTUREChapter 9: BUDDHISM, ITS WESTERNISATION AND THE EASTERNISATION OF THE WESTChapter 10: CHRISTIANITY: CHURCHES AND SECTS IN A POSTCHRISTIAN WORLDChapter 11: THE MULTIPLE-MODERNITIES OF ISLAM?Chapter 12: NEW RELIGIOUS MOVEMENTS AND THE DEATH OF THE NEW AGEChapter 13: WITCHCRAFT, THE INTERNET AND CONSUMERISMConclusion: WHAT DO SOCIOLOGISTS OF RELIGION IN ACADEMIA DO APART FROM TEACHING AND MARKING? THEIR WORK AS INTELLECTUALS