Religion and Revolutionary Beliefs: Sociological and Historical Dimensions in Max Weber's Work-In Memory of Ivan Vallier (1927-1974)

How adequate is Weber's world-historical Sociology of Religion in relation to ongoing secularization, especially the rise of quasi-religious political movements and ideologies? It is argued that his work retains a considerable degree of conceptual adequacy in the face of new historical developments for both analytical and historical reasons. The essay distinguishes between Weber's developmental theory of modern revolutionary beliefs and his sociology of ideological virtuosi and of social marginality. The model of revolutionary religious virtuosity is applied to the Catholic opposition against church and state in the United States. The essay concludes with some observations on the counterculture in the light of Weber's developmental theory and sociohistorical model.