The Cambridge Companion to Religious Studies (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780521710145)

The Cambridge Companion to Religious Studies is both informative and provocative, introducing readers to key debates in the contemporary study of religion and suggesting future research possibilities. A group of distinguished scholars takes up some of the most pressing theoretical questions in the field. What is a 'religious tradition'? How are religious texts read? What takes place when a religious practitioner stands before a representation of gods or goddesses, ghosts, ancestors, saints, and other special beings? What roles is religion playing in contemporary global society? The volume emphasizes religion as a lived practice, stressing that people have used and continue to use religious media to engage the circumstances of their lives. This underlying conviction provides a realistic perspective on religion, and the volume's essays engage with real-world religious practices. The volume's essays should prove valuable and interesting to a broad audience, including scholars in the humanities and social sciences and a general readership, as well as students of religious studies.

Author: Robert A. Orsi
ISBN-10: 0521710146
ISBN-13: 9780521710145
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Language: English
Published: 12/19/2011
Pages: 444
Format: Paperback
Weight: 1.31lbs
Size: 8.89h x 6.12w x 0.96d

Review Citation(s):
Choice 10/01/2012