Matching pivotal theorists and theories of religion alongside
cutting-edge criticism from a team of leading contemporary
scholars, this vibrant collection enables students to gain a
balanced understanding of the diverse methods, theories, and
theorists involved in the historical and methodological development
of the study of religion. It can be used alongside Ivan
Strenski?s textbook, Thinking about Religion: An
Historical Introduction to Theories of Religion, to offer a
complete resource for introductory students of religious
studies.
Creates a useful mix of classic and contemporary responses to
issues in the study of religion, ideal for those coming to the
subject for the first time.
Traces the major historical and methodological development of
the study of religion in the modern West, enabling students to gain
a balanced understanding of the diverse methods, theories,
and theorists involved.
Primary theorists featured include Cherbury, Durkheim, Eliade,
Frazer, Freud, Hume, Brede Kristensen, Malinowski, Max Muller,
Ninian Smart, Robertson Smith, Spinoza, Tylor, and Weber.
Contemporary contributors include Winston Davis, Sidney Hook,
Robert Alun Jones, Karl Menninger, Sam Preus, Philip Rieff, Robert
Segal, Georges Sorel, George Stocking, and William Dwight
Whitney.
Author Biography
Ivan Strenski is Holstein Family and Community Professor of Religious Studies at the University of California, Riverside. His previous publications include Four Theories of Myth in Twentieth-Century History (1988), Religion in Relation: Method, Application, and Moral Location (1993), Durkheim and the Jews of France (1997), Contesting Sacrifice: Religion, Nationalism and Social Thought (2002), Theology and the First Theory of Sacrifice (2003), and The New Durkheim: Essays on Philosophy, Religious Identity and the Politics of Knowledge (2006).