Robert Bellah
contemporarySociological Theory, Communitarianism, Civil Religion1927 – 2013
Robert Bellah (1927–2013) was an American sociologist and professor at the University of California, Berkeley, best known for coining the concept of 'civil religion' and for his influential critique of American individualism. His work bridged sociology, philosophy, and religious studies, examining how cultural narratives about the self shape democratic community life.
Notable Achievements
1
Developed the concept of 'civil religion in America' (1967), arguing the U.S. has a shared public religious dimension distinct from church religion
2
Co-authored Habits of the Heart (1985), a landmark critique of American individualism and its corrosive effects on civic and communal life
3
Authored Religion in Human Evolution (2011), tracing the origins of religion from hunter-gatherer societies to the Axial Age
4
Contributed to communitarian social theory by arguing the atomistic self undermines the social preconditions of liberal democracy
5