| Max-Weber-Kolleg

In his publication "A Joyfully Serious Man", Dr. Matteo Bortolini paints an insightful portrait of the eminent researcher Robert Bellah

One of the most influential sociologists of religion of the twentieth century, Prof. Dr Robert Bellah (1927-2013) pursued an interdisciplinary approach to research that combined the sociology of Talcott Parsons with the theological insights of Paul Tillich. He was also an analyst and critic of American society and its democratic culture.

Bucheinband A Joyfully Serious Man

With "A Joyfully Serious Man - The Life of Robert Bellah", Matteo Bortolini draws an insightful portrait of an extraordinary scientific career as well as a turbulent and stormy life of this personality. Bortolini's observations are based on Bellah's personal documents and extensive interviews with people close to him. He describes Bellah's exile from the United States, his crushing personal tragedies and how his life intertwines with his scientific oeuvre. He also shows how Bellah advocated intellectual openness and innovation, and his views on the ongoing tensions between individualism and community in American society.

Robert Bellah was the first to receive an honorary doctorate from the Max Weber Centre for Advanced Cultural and Social Studies at the University of Erfurt for his academic achievements. Dr. Matteo Bortolini was a fellow of the Max-Weber-Kolleg and was already working on his publication during his time at the Kolleg within the framework of a "Distinguished Robert Bellah Fellowship".

The book is published by Princeton University Press.       

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