The more I read of McGuire’s Religion The Social Context, the more I realize how this book is essentially a self help book for creating a successful religion.  

By breaking it down by chapter and looking at the book through a business point of view it allows us to play with the idea of how we would make our own religion.

1. Chapter One “ The Sociological Perspective on Religion”
   1. Understand the Market Climate for Religion – This chapter reviews what is the current market for religion and how it relates in a social perspective. It helps the reader understand how important studying sociology is and exactly how that impacts ones understand of religion.

1. Chapter Two “ The Provision of Meaning and Belonging”
   1. How To Create An Individual Experience  – This chapter reviews how it is very important for people to belong. It shows how religion helps people belong to something and through that belonging learn the meaning of the religion they may be joining.

1. Chapter Three “ The Individual’s Religion”
   1. How to Create a Lifelong Consumer  – In this chapter religion and ones commitment is looked at. It is a time to look at conversion and perhaps disengage from one’s current religion to begin a new one.

1. Chapter Four “ Official and Nonofficial Religion”
   1. Product Templates and Models – This chapter goes into structural changes that have occured in religions. It goes over researching official and non official religious beliefs and feelings. It looks at the actual social construct of religion. Finally it looks at women’s religion as well  gender role.

1. Chapter Five “ The Dynamics of Religious Collectivities”   
   1. Understanding Consumers and How They Adapt To A Changing Market  – The focus of this chapter is the reactions of Religions in their social environment and how they develop and change. Another  aspect of the chapter is how people define and see Religious Orientation.

  So as you can see each chapter is sharing different aspects of religion and product aspects of it. But not one particular religion is looked at. So someone reading this can take what information learned in these chapters and make up their own religion that meets their own social needs.