Robert Neelly Bellah, a preeminent scholar of religion in America, bestselling author and the Elliott Professor of Sociology Emeritus at UC Berkeley, died early this week of complications related to heart surgery. He was 86.<\/p>\n
Widely known as one of the world\u2019s most influential sociologists, Bellah was a Harvard-educated social theorist who taught for three decades at UC Berkeley. Best known for his scholarship on how religion shapes ethical, cultural and political practices, his literary legacy includes \u201cReligion in Human Evolution\u201d\u009d (2011), \u201cTokugawa Religion\u201d\u009d(1957),\u201d\u009dThe Broken Covenant\u201d\u009d (1975) and \u201cBeyond Belief\u201d\u009d (1970). His writings were said to have irked both the religious right and the secular left at various times. He was profoundly loved and respected by many of his students and peers.<\/p>\n