What can women in classical sociology teach us about contemporary sociology of religion?

Abstract

This article presents the main work of two women in classical sociology, Harriet Martineau (1802–1876) and Ida B. Wells (1862–1931). While some sociologists have pointed to the significance of their work and that of other early women classical sociologists, most sociologists, and in particular, most sociologists of religion, have ignored their work. This article asks which themes in sociology and the sociology of religion these women addressed that many male classical sociologists failed to address. How does the study of these two women point to important issues in current sociology of religion? The analysis shows that central themes in the work of Martineau and Wells were the intersections of religion, gender, race, and social class. Their work also points to another highly important issue seldom addressed in current sociology of religion, namely the link between various forms of religion and the realization of democracy.