Thinking About Religion

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 Müller,
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.