Divyadaan Divyadaan applied 0972-2211 Fr. Ian Pinto DJPE1370007 METHOD IN SOCIOLOGY On the Possibility of a 'Consultational' Sociology of Religion Based on the Work of Jung Paul Nirmal Savio DJPE 04 29 2026 37 1 73 106 This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons license.

Here, we propose, via Jung, a methodological shift in Sociology of Religion (SoR). We seek an invariant non-reductionist method in SoR regarding the depths of religious experience. We hypothesise that, encouraged by Taylor's characterisation of secularisation, taking the authentic subjectivity (in the Lonerganian sense) of the sociological investigator of religion as starting-point, and the consultational recommendation of Wheeldon as the interaction paradigm, we would have a prototypical methodological toolbox for a non-condescending approach in SoR. The proposed approach evades the trap of overarching narratives, while retaining commitment to scientific rigour, without discarding the existing theoretical heritage of SoR.

 Carl Jung Sociology of Religion non-reductionism religious experience secularization Charles Taylor authentic subjectivity Bernard Lonergan interaction paradigm sociological methodology scientific rigor non-condescending approach methodological shift religious studies