La sociologie de la religion d'inspiration marxiste en Yougoslavie

Abstract

Although the problems of religiosity were treated by a number of early Yugoslav ethnological and anthropo-geographical studies, such as those of V. Jagic, N. Nodilo and J. Cvijic, sociology in general and, more particularly, the sociology of religion is, in that country, an emergent science. The post-war development of the sociology of religion in Yugoslavia can be broken down into two phases. In the first ten or more years after the war the sociology of religion — if it can justifiably be called so — was dogmatic and vulgarly Marxian in its approach. Its exponents, notably O. Mandic, A. Fia mengo and V. Ribar, founded their critique of religion on assumptions bequeathed by positivism and the Enlightenment. Following Paul Holbach, Karl Kautsky and Soviet examples, they defended the simplified thesis that knowledge on the one hand and, on the other, the intervention of socialist society in existential socio-economic problems, will do away with the very foundations of religion and with religion itself. More recently, a new approach has set in. It confronts. the body of knowledge and suppositions based on Marx's concepts with the result of empirical research. This stage in the development of the science is characterised by numerous en quiries into specific socio-religious problems which, in putting away empty theoretical constructs and exercises in pure, unimaginative empiricism, has achieved a more harmonious integration of theory and research results. This trend, represented mainly by Esad Cimic, Marko Kersevan and Zdenko Roter, undoubtedly holds great promise for the future.