All of us who work in the sociology of religion – and indeed many beyond – were taken aback to learn of the death of James A. Beckford, Fellow of the British Academy (FBA) and Emeritus Professor of Sociology at the University of Warwick. Jim, as he was known to friends and colleagues alike, was a distinguished sociologist, who sought to understand better the place of religion in human societies. He was in addition an exemplary colleague who worked tirelessly for both the discipline and sub-discipline of which he was part, not only in each of the Universities in which he was employed, but in the professional organizations of the sociology of religion across the world.
Jim’s first degree (1965) was in French Studies at the University of Reading (United Kingdom), where he stayed to complete a PhD in Sociology in 1972. In 1966, whilst still a doctoral student, he was appointed to a Lectureship in Sociology. It was in Reading that I first met ...