Stausberg/Theories, 4.Bourdieu: “An Interpretation of the Theory of Religion According to Max Weber” and “Genesis and Structure of the Religious Field” (1971)

Pierre Bourdieu (1930–2002, crafted a body of social theory around a series of concepts that have diffused widely into scholarship across disciplinary boundaries, including the study of religion/s. Even though he has written surprisingly little on religion, reflecting on religion was an important stimulus for Bourdieu to get his theorizing off the ground in the first place. Bourdieu conceives of religion not as a system, but as a transactional field. This field is characterized by competition and struggle for power, legitimacy, distinction and recognition among those vying for authority where religion is concerned.