The Transvaluation of Religion in the 19th and 20th Century

FAIN: FA-11568-76

Daniel Bell
George Mason University (Fairfax, VA 22030-4444)

To study why religions fail and why cults appear. Grantee will argue that the break-up of religion occurs on two levels, one of institutional authority and the other of beliefs. The study will explore five cultural responses to the break-up of religion that have also failed. These are rationalism, aestheticism, existentialism, civil religions, and political religions. The study will also deal with recent efforts to find new personalistic creeds.