Vocation et Iimites d'une sociologie du protestantisme en France

Abstract

During recent years, the sociology of religion has developed rapidly in French Protestant circles. Ap parently the difficulties, at least as regards sociogra phy, had been greater than those faced by Catholics. Statistics of religious practice were, in fact, less meaningful. It was only after 1950 that studies began to gain ground. These first studies tackled the problems of participation in the rites, particularly in Bordeaux and in Strasbourg of those of political behaviour. Various enquiries have been made in Alsace between 1954 and 1959. The problem of the pastors and that of certain aspects of the pastorale (geographical sectors, e.g.) have also been tackled. The sociology of religion is being deve loped apace with the theological renewal and with the effort to define the real meaning of the Church. The social and cultural conditions of Protestantism are much different from those of Catholicism. The sociology of Protestantism cannot just follow in the footsteps of that of Catholicism, and a psycho-socio logical study of French Protestantism has yet to be made.