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Sociological theories of religion typically presuppose a religiously-based nqimative order, and for this reason their appropriateness in a modern, secular society is questionable A localcosmopolitan theory is proposed which attempts to identify an important plausibility structure for traditional, church-type religion today. Analysis of data from a sample of Worth Carolina Episcopalians shows that this theory not only explains multidimensional religiosity patterns, but also provides a parsimonious interpretation for the effects of education and community size. Implications for the changing social basis of church religion in modern society and the process of secularization are discussed.
Wade Clark Roof (Thu,) studied this question.