Significantly influencing the sociological study of religion, Hans Mol developed ideas of identity which remain thought-provoking for analyses of how religion operates within contemporary societies. Sacred Selves, Sacred Settings brings current social-religious topics into sharp focus: international scholars analyse, challenge, and apply Mol's theoretical assertions. This book introduces the unique story of Hans Mol, who survived Nazi imprisonment and proceeded to brush shoulders with formidable intellectuals of the twentieth century, such as Robert Merton, Talcott Parsons, and Reinhold Niebuhr. Offering a fresh perspective on popular subjects such as secularization, pluralism, and the place of religion in the public sphere, this book sets case studies within an intellectual biography which describes Mol's key influences and reveals the continuing import of Hans Mol's work applied to recent data and within a contemporary context.

As a sociologist, Hans Mol significantly influenced the sociological study of religion by developing ideas of identity. This biography brings current social-religious topics to sharp focus as international scholars analyse, challenge, and apply Mol's theoretical assertions. This biographical material supports the overall content by describing Mol's key intellectual influences, and the way they offer a fresh perspective upon popular subjects such as secularization, pluralism, and the place of religion in the public sphere.

'The borders of identity, religion and secularity are contested and analysed in new ways in the social sciences today. Drawing on Hans Mol's sociological study of religion, this volume offers an excellent and broad look into the definition and relationship between these critical issues in the process of identity formation in a plural and diverse society.' Anders Bäckström, Uppsala University, Sweden