Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion

Magazine Overview

This issue of the *Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion*, Volume 45, Number 2, published in June 2006 by Wiley on behalf of the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion, contains several book reviews. The issue's primary focus appears to be on sociological and religious studies, with reviews covering topics such as family dynamics, new religious movements, and church-state relations.

Book Reviews

Review of Edgell's Work on Family and Religion

Salvador Jimenez Murguia reviews a work by Edgell that examines how families assess changing ideals for family life within local "ecologies" or networks of churches, voluntary associations, and other social and economic resources. Edgell argues that congregations, rather than religious elites, are the primary context through which families evaluate evolving family life ideals. The review highlights Edgell's analysis of "self-oriented" and "family-oriented" schemas that individuals use to understand religion and family. It also notes Edgell's argument that congregations thrive when they offer a coherent religious tradition that provides a moral framework and personal identity, supporting an institutional perspective on religion and religious change over marketability.

Review of Tumminia's "When Prophecy Never Fails: Myth and Reality in a Flying-Saucer Group"

Salvador Jimenez Murguia also reviews Diane G. Tumminia's book, which meticulously examines the Unarius extraterrestrial contact religion. Tumminia's study, based on over a decade and a half of ethnographic research, presents an overview of Unarius activities and events. Founded in 1954 by Ernest and Ruth Norman, Unarius is an eclectic new religious movement incorporating New Age beliefs and postulating relationships with extraterrestrial beings. The book details the group's millenarian prophecy of 33 spaceships bringing enlightenment. Tumminia's approach is noted for its sincerity, believable depiction of practitioners, and reflexive techniques that acknowledge her own involvement. The review contrasts Tumminia's use of Melvin Pollner's "mundane reasoning" thesis with the earlier work of Festinger et al., arguing that Tumminia's approach offers a conceptual improvement in understanding how groups sustain beliefs after disconfirmed prophecies. The book includes an introduction, 10 chapters, three appendices (including a chronological history of Unarius), and a photo gallery. The review suggests that the book is particularly helpful for understanding extraterrestrial contact religions and is a valuable reference for anyone interested in contactee communities.

Review of Yamane's "The Catholic Church and State Politics: Negotiating Prophetic Demands and Political Realities"

David Yamane's book is reviewed, focusing on his analysis of the functioning of 34 state-level Catholic Bishops Conferences in the United States. The review highlights Yamane's theoretical framework of the "double movement of secularization," suggesting that while religious authority has given way to secular authority, religious groups have adapted and participate in secular politics without being entirely beholden to it.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue revolve around the sociological study of religion, with a particular emphasis on how religious groups and individuals navigate social change, belief systems, and their relationship with broader societal structures. The reviews suggest an editorial stance that values rigorous ethnographic research, critical analysis of religious phenomena, and an understanding of the complex interplay between religious belief and social realities, including family life, prophecy, and political engagement. The journal appears to promote scholarly discourse on diverse religious expressions and their societal implications.