51:) in Leuven, where he received his doctorate in Social Sciences in 1966. He was appointed a professor at Katholieke Universiteit in 1968. He has done important work in the area of the place of religion in the social fabric, and how secularization of religious roles in public institutions affects both society and religion. He has done fieldwork with
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argues that religious organizations and institutions are generally declining in the modern world, while his critics claim that this form of secularization is typical of
Western Europe (and perhaps Canada and Australia/New Zealand) only, but not of the United States, nor of Latin America, Asia and Africa.
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as an exemplary case of the tension that is generated when lay members seeking a religious support for their secular lives and priests whose main aim is perpetuating their hierarchical power work together. Dobbelaere also discussed how, after the separation from the monks, Soka Gakkai was reorganized
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Dobbelaere is conscious that the most controversial part of its theory concerns what he calls "meso-secularization," by which he means the decline of the organizational level of religion, measured by several indicators, among them church attendance and donations to institutional religion. Dobbelaere
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The "micro-secularization" refers to the sphere of private beliefs. Contrary to other theorists of secularization, Dobbelaere observes that religion does survive at the "de-institutionalized" level of private beliefs and practices. Here, again, he believes that most sociologists of religion would
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The "macro-secularization" refers to the decreasing influence of religion on society. Dobbelaere believes there is little doubt that social and political choices are less and less influenced by religion, at least in
Western societies, and notes that most sociologists argue with him on this point.
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and has been criticized as such. In fact, however, Dobbelaere's theory of secularization argues that the phenomenon should be studied at three different levels. He calls them "macro-secularization," "meso-secularization," and "micro-secularization."
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85:. He also has held visiting professorships at various institutions and universities worldwide. He has authored, coauthored and edited over 200 books, articles and studies.
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in researching new religious movements and sects. He also contributed for many years on the Social
Sciences committee in Belgium's National Fund for Scientific Research.
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145:, he argued that Soka Gakkai had been successful in the United Kingdom by surrendering certain Japanese features and adapting to the European context.
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with a different structure but eventually evolved into a full-fledged "religion" and continued with its successful missions abroad.
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PÉREZ-AGOTE, Alfonso, "The notion of secularization: Drawing the boundaries of its contemporary scientific validity,"
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READER, Ian, "Bryan Wilson and Karel
Dobbelaere, 'A Time to Chant: The Soka Gakkai Buddhists in Britain' (Book Review),"
152:(2001), Dobbelaere exploded the conflict and eventual separation between the lay leaders of Soka Gakkai and the monks of
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Dobbelaere was among the first
Western scholars to publish sociological studies of the Japanese religious movement
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DAVIE, Grace, "Patterns of
Religion in Western Europe: An Exceptional Case," in FENN, Richard K., editor,
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educator and noted sociologist of religion. Dobbelaere is an
Emeritus Professor of both the
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66:. His research fields have been in the effects of religious participation and in
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The
Centrality of Religion in Social Life: Essays in Honour of James A. Beckford
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231:. Aldershot, Hampshire, United Kingdom: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. p. viii.
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in
Belgium on 16 September 1933. He studied at the Katholieke Universiteit (
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Secularization and Social
Integration: Papers in Honor of Karel Dobbelaere
31:(Louvain) in Belgium. He is past-President and General Secretary of the
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206:. Leuven/Louvain, Belgium: Leuven University Press. pp. xi–xiv.
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Dobbelaere is known for his defense of the classic theory of
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Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Science and the Arts
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Challenging Religion: Essays in Honour of Eileen Barker
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Laermans, Rudi; Bryan R. Wilson; Jaak Billiet (1998).
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International Society for the Sociology of Religion
181:. London, United Kingdom: Routledge. p. ix.
366:Researchers of new religious movements and cults
300:The Blackwell Companion to Sociology of Religion
256:. United Kingdom: Rowman Altamira. p. 141.
177:Beckford, James A.; James T. Richardson (2003).
141:, which he co-authored with British sociologist
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252:Swatos, William H..; Kivisto, Peter (1998).
90:Secularization: An Analysis at Three Levels
150:Soka Gakkai: From Lay Movement to Religion
98:Secularization: A Multidimensional Concept
88:Among his published works are the books
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320:Japanese Journal of Religious Studies
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302:, Oxford: Blackwell, 2001, 264–278.
254:Encyclopedia of Religion and Society
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381:People from Nieuwpoort, Belgium
280:, vol. 62, 2014, pp. 886–904.
29:Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
19:(born 16 September 1933) is a
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43:Karel Dobbelaere was born in
391:Members of Academia Europaea
386:Academic staff of KU Leuven
92:(P.I.E.—Peter Lang, 2002),
77:He is a member of both the
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337:Journal of Global Buddhism
289:PÉREZ-AGOTE, 2014, p. 895.
322:, vol. 22, 1995, 219-220.
361:Sociologists of religion
104:Theory of secularization
227:Barker, Eileen (2008).
68:new religious movements
58:His teaching focus was
339:, vol. 3, 2002, 86–91.
96:(Clarendon, 1994) and
64:sociology of religion
25:University of Antwerp
356:Belgian sociologists
129:Study of Soka Gakkai
148:In his later book,
49:Catholic University
278:Current Sociology
263:978-0-7619-8956-1
238:978-0-7546-6515-1
188:978-0-415-30948-6
79:Academia Europaea
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139:A Time to Chant
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94:A Time to Chant
53:Bryan R. Wilson
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39:Academic career
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333:"Book Review"
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371:1933 births
135:Soka Gakkai
350:Categories
45:Nieuwpoort
60:sociology
81:and the
62:and the
27:and the
21:Belgian
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161:Notes
137:. In
72:sects
304:ISBN
258:ISBN
233:ISBN
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183:ISBN
70:and
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