Offering students an overview of the anthropological findings in religion that have amassed in the last 100 years, this sourcebook presents articles written by anthropologists, sociologists, historians, and others whose works have significantly influenced anthropological thinking.

Cultural comparative material; Subjects covered; 1) origin and development of religions; 2) function of religions; 3) symbolism; 4) symbolic classification; 5) myth; 6) ritual; 7) shamanism; 8) magic, withcraft and divination; 9) death, ghosts and ancestor workship; 10) dynamics in religion; Includes W.E.H. Stanners The dreaming and A.L. Kroebers Totem and taboo; an ethnological psychoanalysis and Totem and taboo in retropect which are seperately listed in bibliography.

Excerpt from Religion: A Comparative Study The author has a definite purpose in offering this book to the public. He is aware that there are many valuable works on the subject of Comparative Religion. He regards some of them as too voluminous and technical for the average reader who is seeking an intelligent understanding of the Great Religions of the world. Others show unmistakable signs of having been "made in Germany" and as being a part of the destructive higher criticism that has done harm to the cause of Christianity. Some of these volumes are admirable in every way, but are so condensed they do not give a general survey of the field. The present work will doubtless prove equally unsatisfactory to many readers, but if others get as much pleasure and profit from its perusal, as the author has in its preparation, he will be well paid. We have treated the subject under three general heads: I. The Science of Comparative Religion. II. The History of Religions. III. The Comparison of Religions. The religious idea is one and innate, but as this idea is expressed by different peoples it is colored by the medium through which it passes. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

This wide-ranging reader combines some of the best and most valuable contemporary perspectives from leading and significant writers, teachers, and thinkers who together address critical challenges and opportunities for the world's religions in a post 9/11 world. Edited by Arvind Sharma and organized by topic, the essays in this reader consider broad questions such as, What influence does religion have on contemporary life? The thematic arrangement of topics includes diverse religious perspectives on: war, terror, peace, human rights, pluralism, diversity, gender, spirituality, the interreligious dialogue, international diplomacy and globalization.