Kirjahaku

A comparative analysis of both secular and religious communal groups in contemporary America, this study, originally published in 1978, shows that contemporary communalists stand in relation to collectivism much the same as early Protestants stood in relation to individualism – as the self-proclaimed pioneers of the new age. There is great diversity among communal groups, a diversity which is found to stem from alternative orientations towards time and alternative assumptions about the cognitive status of the social world.The author has made use of a phenomenologically derived typological framework to organize the data he has obtained through living in and visiting a number of communal groups. Within this framework, Alfred Schutz’s ‘mundane’ phenomenology and Max Weber’s interpretive sociology are employed as ways of approaching the situated sociology of knowledge in various communal groups.Six ideal types of communal groups are described: the commune, the intentional association, the community, the warring sect, the other-worldly sect and the ecstatic association. Two of these types – the intentional association and the community – are identified as participants’ efforts to demonstrate ‘worldly utopian’ models for the reconstruction of society at large.

A comparative analysis of both secular and religious communal groups in contemporary America, this study, originally published in 1978, shows that contemporary communalists stand in relation to collectivism much the same as early Protestants stood in relation to individualism – as the self-proclaimed pioneers of the new age. There is great diversity among communal groups, a diversity which is found to stem from alternative orientations towards time and alternative assumptions about the cognitive status of the social world.The author has made use of a phenomenologically derived typological framework to organize the data he has obtained through living in and visiting a number of communal groups. Within this framework, Alfred Schutz’s ‘mundane’ phenomenology and Max Weber’s interpretive sociology are employed as ways of approaching the situated sociology of knowledge in various communal groups.Six ideal types of communal groups are described: the commune, the intentional association, the community, the warring sect, the other-worldly sect and the ecstatic association. Two of these types – the intentional association and the community – are identified as participants’ efforts to demonstrate ‘worldly utopian’ models for the reconstruction of society at large.

Cultures of Inquiry provides a unique overview of research methodologies in social science, historical and cultural studies. Facing Kant’s proposition that pure reason cannot contain social inquiry, John R. Hall uses a method of hermeneutic deconstruction to produce a ‘critique of impure reason’, thereby charting a ‘third path’ to knowledge. Inquiries conventionally allocated to science or interpretation, modern or postmodern, he argues, depend upon interconnected methodologies that transcend present-day disciplinary and interdisciplinary boundaries. He identifies four formative discourses and eight methodological practices of inquiry, and explores new possibilities for translation between different types of knowledge. Cultures of Inquiry neither exoticizes academic subcultures nor essentializes Culture as the spirit of academe. Instead, it addresses workaday issues of research via a sociology of knowledge that speaks to controversies concerning how inquiry is and ought to be practiced under conditions of epistemological disjuncture.

Cultures of Inquiry provides a unique overview of research methodologies in social science, historical and cultural studies. Facing Kant’s proposition that pure reason cannot contain social inquiry, John R. Hall uses a method of hermeneutic deconstruction to produce a ‘critique of impure reason’, thereby charting a ‘third path’ to knowledge. Inquiries conventionally allocated to science or interpretation, modern or postmodern, he argues, depend upon interconnected methodologies that transcend present-day disciplinary and interdisciplinary boundaries. He identifies four formative discourses and eight methodological practices of inquiry, and explores new possibilities for translation between different types of knowledge. Cultures of Inquiry neither exoticizes academic subcultures nor essentializes Culture as the spirit of academe. Instead, it addresses workaday issues of research via a sociology of knowledge that speaks to controversies concerning how inquiry is and ought to be practiced under conditions of epistemological disjuncture.

Winner of the American Sociological Association's 'Distinguished Book Award' in the Religion category. For most of us, “Apocalypse” suggests the cataclysmic end of the world. Yet in Greek “apocalypse” means “revelation,” and the real subject of the Book of Revelation is how the sacred arises in history at a moment of crisis and destiny. With origins in ancient religions, the apocalyptic has been a transformative force from the time of the Crusades, through the Reformation, the French Revolution and modern communism, all the way to the present day “Islamic Jihad” and “War on Terror.” In Apocalypse, John R. Hall explores the significance of apocalyptic movements and the role they have played in the rise of the West and “The Empire of Modernity.” This brilliant cross-disciplinary study offers a novel basis for rethinking our social order and its ambivalent relations to sacred history. Apocalypse will attract general readers seeking new understandings of the world in challenging times. Scholars and students will find a compelling synthesis that draws them into conversation with others interested in religion, theology, culture, philosophy, and phenomenology, as well as sociology, social theory, western civilization, and world history.

Winner of the American Sociological Association's 'Distinguished Book Award' in the Religion category. For most of us, "Apocalypse" suggests the cataclysmic end of the world. Yet in Greek "apocalypse" means "revelation," and the real subject of the Book of Revelation is how the sacred arises in history at a moment of crisis and destiny. With origins in ancient religions, the apocalyptic has been a transformative force from the time of the Crusades, through the Reformation, the French Revolution and modern communism, all the way to the present day "Islamic Jihad" and "War on Terror." In Apocalypse, John R. Hall explores the significance of apocalyptic movements and the role they have played in the rise of the West and "The Empire of Modernity." This brilliant cross-disciplinary study offers a novel basis for rethinking our social order and its ambivalent relations to sacred history. Apocalypse will attract general readers seeking new understandings of the world in challenging times. Scholars and students will find a compelling synthesis that draws them into conversation with others interested in religion, theology, culture, philosophy, and phenomenology, as well as sociology, social theory, western civilization, and world history.

In this superb cultural history, John R. Hall presents a reasoned analysis of the meaning of Jonestown--why it happened and how it is tied to our history as a nation, our ideals, our practices, and the tension of modern culture. Hall deflates the myths of Jonestown by exploring how much of what transpired was unique to the group and its leader and how much can be explained by reference to wider social processes.

In this superb cultural history, John R. Hall presents a reasoned analysis of the meaning of Jonestown--why it happened and how it is tied to our history as a nation, our ideals, our practices, and the tension of modern culture. Hall deflates the myths of Jonestown by exploring how much of what transpired was unique to the group and its leader and how much can be explained by reference to wider social processes.

"KEEP THE SHINY SIDE UP" Biker, street performer, cab driver, magician, IT/IS specialist, long-haul trucker, soldier, and oil field worker John Richard "Little Ricky" Hall has done damn near everything in this life-and taken more than his fair share of hard knocks in the process. Red, White, and the Blues is both a riveting account of a fateful cross-country motorcycle ride and a searing indictment of the American dream. In 2011, North Dakota's Bakken oil boom was turning the earth (literally) and men (figuratively) inside out, even as it generated unprecedented wealth. John R. Hall was on the verge of securing his future in the Bakken when a confrontation with a coworker led him to leave it all behind and head across the US on his Harley "Deuce." Pursued by the screeching demons of abuse, financial distress, and his own tortured thoughts, John would find heartache and rough terrain on the open road-but also the kindness of strangers and sights of heartbreaking beauty. Part memoir, part collection of essays, part political treatise, Red, White, and the Blues is a must-read for motorcycle enthusiasts and anyone who's struggled to find their place in the world. At turns funny, emotionally devastating, and incisive, Hall's work will enthrall readers as he offers affecting commentary on racism, politics, and depression-as well as friendship and the incomparable freedom of riding long and hard. JOHN R. HALL is author of the HuntingForThompson.com writers blog. John studied journalism, communications, psychology, and the dramatic arts while attending City College in San Diego, California. A lifelong motorcycle enthusiast, John has been a street performer, cab driver, magician, IT/IS specialist, long-haul trucker, soldier, and oil field worker-all while struggling with PTSD, childhood abuse, parental abandonment, and dyslexia. At sixty-two, John now lives in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he penned the stories of his travels while hoping to get back home to Seattle, Washington.