On the Genesis and Transformations of Social Compass

Abstract

The author reconstructs the four moments that have constituted Social Compass's history. As the publication of the Dutch Catholic Social-Ecclesiastical Institute, the journal was initially dedicated to the dissemination of a sociography of Catholicism. Then, under the direction of the International Federation of Institutes for Social and Socio-Religious Research, Social Compass contributed to the production of a sociology of Catholicism. From here, attached to the Centre of Socio-Religious Research of the Catholic University of Louvain, Social Compass emerged as a professional, scholarly journalfor the sociology of religion. And, for over a decade now, the journal has been attempting to negotiate the postmodern condition.