The Association for the Sociology of Religion (ASR) is an academic association with more than 700 members worldwide. It publishes a journal, Sociology of Religion, and holds meetings at the same venues and times as the American Sociological Association.
History
The ASR was founded by Catholic sociologists in Chicago in 1938 as the American Catholic Sociological Society. The organization adopted its present name in 1970, reflecting changes in the Vatican's policy that led to greater openness towards other faiths. It has long since become a base for sociological research on religion without regard to belief, creed, or religious orientation.
Activities
The association publishes a journal, Sociology of Religion, as well as a quarterly newsletter. It is the co-publisher of an annual series entitled Religion and the Social Order. The association provides research grants.
The ASR, which has over 700 members worldwide, continues its historical practice of holding its meetings at the same venues and times as the American Sociological Association, allowing mutual cross-fertilization between the two associations. Past presidents of the ASR include David G. Bromley, James T. Richardson, Eileen Barker Benton Johnson, and Christopher G. Ellison.
Presidents
1938: Ralph A. Gallagher
1939: Raymond W. Murray
1940: Paul J. Mundie
1941: Francis J. Friedel
1942: Walter L. Willigan
1943: Eva J. Ross
1944: Paul Hanly Furfey
1945: Gerald J. Schnepp
1946: Alphonse H. Clemens
1947: Leo J. Robinson
1948: Franz Mueller
1949: Robert B. Navin
1950: Clement S. Mihanovich
1951: Thomas P. Harte
1952: John J. Kane
1953: Joseph P. Fitzpatrick
1954: C. J. Neuse
1955: M. Jeanine Gruesser
1956: D. Augustine McCaffrey
1957: Allen Spitzer
1958: John D. Donovan
1959: Mary Edward Healy
1960: John L. Thomas
1961: Jack H. Curtis
1962: Frances Jerome Woods
1963: John E. Hughes
1964: Paul Facey
1965: Paul Mundy
1966: Andrew Greeley
1967: Donald N. Barrett
1968: Gordon Zahn
1969: Robert J. McNamara
1970: Paul Reiss
1971: Ralph Lane Jr. 1972: Marie Augusta Neal 1973: Thomas P. Imse 1974: William H. Jarrett 1975: Ruth A. Wallace 1976: John L. Thomas 1977: David O. Moberg 1978: Thomas M. Gannon 1979: Jeffrey K. Hadden 1980: Carroll J. Bourg 1981: Hart M. Nelsen 1982: Meredith B. McGuire 1983: Rodney Stark 1984: Patrick H. McNamara 1985: William R. Garrett 1986: James T. Richardson 1987: Benton Johnson 1988: Roland Robertson 1989: James A. Beckford 1990: Helen Rose Ebaugh 1991: Theodore E. Long 1992: Edward C. Lehman 1993: William V. D'Antonio 1994: David G. Bromley 1995: John H. Simpson 1996: Nancy Ammerman 1997: R. Stephen Warner 1998: James R. Kelly 1999: Nancy Nason-Clark 2000: José Casanova 2001: Anthony J. Blasi 2002: Eileen Barker 2003: Grace Davie 2004: Joseph B. Tamney 2005: N. J. Demerath III 2006: Kevin J. Christiano 2007: James D. Davidson 2008: Mary Jo Neitz 2009: Michele Dillon 2010: Rhys H. Williams 2011: Peter Beyer 2012: Roger Finke 2013: Fred Kniss 2014: Christopher G. Ellison 2015: Melissa J. Wilde 2016: Lori G. Beaman 2018–2019: Paula Nesbitt 2019–present: James C. Cavendish