Robert N. Bellah
Encyclopedia
Robert Neelly Bellah is an American sociologist
, now the Elliott Professor of Sociology, Emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley
. Bellah is best known for his work related to "American civil religion
" (a term he used in a 1967 article). He is also known for his 1985 book Habits of the Heart, how religion contributes to and detracts from America's common good; and as a sociologist who studies religious and moral issues and their connection to society.
, Bellah received a B.A. degree from Harvard University
in 1950, and a Ph.D. from Harvard in 1955. He was a student of Talcott Parsons
, sociologist at Harvard and he and Parsons remained intellectual friends until Parson's death in 1979. Parsons was specially interested in Bellah's concept of religious evolution and the concept of "Civil Religion." While an undergraduate at Harvard, he was a member of the Communist Party USA
and chairman of the John Reed Club
, "a recognized student organization concerned with the study of Marxism." Dean McGeorge Bundy
threatened to withdraw his fellowship if he did not provide the names of his former associates.
He served in various positions at Harvard from 1955 to 1967 when he took the position of Ford Professor of Sociology at the University of California at Berkeley. He spent the remainder of his career at Berkeley.
His political views are often classified as communitarian.
in 1967. He received the National Humanities Medal
in 2000 from President Bill Clinton
, in part for "his efforts to illuminate the importance of community in American society." In 2007, he received the American Academy of Religion Martin E. Marty Award for the Public Understanding of Religion.
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
, now the Elliott Professor of Sociology, Emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
. Bellah is best known for his work related to "American civil religion
American civil religion
American civil religion is a term coined by sociologist Robert Bellah in 1967. The article in which the term is coined, "Civil Religion in America", sparked one of the most controversial debates in United States sociology. Soon after the paper was published, the topic became the major focus at...
" (a term he used in a 1967 article). He is also known for his 1985 book Habits of the Heart, how religion contributes to and detracts from America's common good; and as a sociologist who studies religious and moral issues and their connection to society.
Biography
Born in Altus, OklahomaAltus, Oklahoma
Altus is a city in Jackson County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 19,813 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Jackson County....
, Bellah received a B.A. degree from Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
in 1950, and a Ph.D. from Harvard in 1955. He was a student of Talcott Parsons
Talcott Parsons
Talcott Parsons was an American sociologist who served on the faculty of Harvard University from 1927 to 1973....
, sociologist at Harvard and he and Parsons remained intellectual friends until Parson's death in 1979. Parsons was specially interested in Bellah's concept of religious evolution and the concept of "Civil Religion." While an undergraduate at Harvard, he was a member of the Communist Party USA
Communist Party USA
The Communist Party USA is a Marxist political party in the United States, established in 1919. It has a long, complex history that is closely related to the histories of similar communist parties worldwide and the U.S. labor movement....
and chairman of the John Reed Club
John Reed Club
The John Reed Club was an American, semi-national, Marxist club for writers, artists, and intellectuals, named after the American journalist, activist, and poet, John Reed.-Founding:...
, "a recognized student organization concerned with the study of Marxism." Dean McGeorge Bundy
McGeorge Bundy
McGeorge "Mac" Bundy was United States National Security Advisor to Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson from 1961 through 1966, and president of the Ford Foundation from 1966 through 1979...
threatened to withdraw his fellowship if he did not provide the names of his former associates.
He served in various positions at Harvard from 1955 to 1967 when he took the position of Ford Professor of Sociology at the University of California at Berkeley. He spent the remainder of his career at Berkeley.
His political views are often classified as communitarian.
Works
He is author, editor, co-author, or co-editor of the following books:- Tokugawa Religion: The Values of Pre-Industrial Japan (1957)
- Religion and Progress in Modern Asia (1965)
- Beyond Belief: Essays on Religion in a Post-Traditional World (1970)
- Emile Durkheim on Morality and Society (1973)
- The Broken Covenant: American Civil Religion in Time of Trial (1975)
- The New Religious Consciousness (1976)
- Varieties of Civil Religion (1980)
- Habits of the Heart: Individualism and Commitment in American Life (1985)
- Uncivil Religion: Interreligious Hostility in America (1987)
- The Good Society (1991)
- Imagining Japan: The Japanese Tradition and its Modern Interpretation (2003)
- The Robert Bellah Reader (2006)
- Religion in Human Evolution: From the Paleolithic to the Axial Age (2011)
Awards and honors
Bellah was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and SciencesAmerican Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent policy research center that conducts multidisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems. The Academy’s elected members are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business, and public affairs.James Bowdoin, John Adams, and...
in 1967. He received the National Humanities Medal
National Humanities Medal
The National Humanities Medal honors individuals or groups whose work has deepened the nation’s understanding of the humanities, broadened citizens’ engagement with the humanities, or helped preserve and expand Americans’ access to important resources in the humanities.The award, given by the...
in 2000 from President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
, in part for "his efforts to illuminate the importance of community in American society." In 2007, he received the American Academy of Religion Martin E. Marty Award for the Public Understanding of Religion.
External links
- Bill Moyers PBS interview with Bellah
- Robert Bellah's Official website
- Biographical statement on Bellah's website
- Recent Biographical Article
- The Immanent Frame a blogBlogA blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
with posts by Bellah, Charles Taylor (philosopher)Charles Taylor (philosopher)Charles Margrave Taylor, is a Canadian philosopher from Montreal, Quebec best known for his contributions in political philosophy, the philosophy of social science, and in the history of philosophy. His contributions to these fields have earned him both the prestigious Kyoto Prize and the...
, and others