The Recession of Ideology?

When speaking of ideology, I employ the term in a somewhat broader and more inclusive manner than is commonly found in the literature. Throughout the essay I will use the term to denote any and all "patterns of belief" adhered to by a group of followers regardless of content. This means that political and philosophical as well as religious belief patterns are included. We shall consequently be concerned with Christianity as well as socialism, with Catholicism and communism, with democratism, fascism, protestantism, Islam, Birchism, and many other ideologies. Whatever their names, whatever their specific content, as long as they can be classified as patterns of belief sufficiently attractive to generate a following, they can be termed ideology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]