Why do people study religion? How have they studied it in the past? How do we study religion today? Is the academic study of religion the same as religious education? These and many other questions are addressed in this engaging introduction to the discipline of religious studies. Topics include:

Definitions of religion

Perspectives in the study and teaching of religion

How religion began to be studied: Traditional perspectives—philosophical and theological

How people experience religion: Perspectives in the study of religious consciousness and perception—phenomenological and psychological

Studying religion within communities: Social and cultural perspectives—anthropological, sociological, political, and economic

Judging religion: Critical perspectives—feminist approaches, the interaction of popular literature and religion

Contextual perspectives—historical and comparative

Themes, theories, and current directions

This thoroughly updated second edition encourages students to think critically about the theories and methods presented. Students will find arguments for the strengths and limitations of these approaches, understand connections among religious studies and other intellectual movements, and develop their own ideas of how they might want to go about the study of religion. Summary boxes, discussion questions, a glossary, a chronology of key figures and texts, and other pedagogic aids help students grasp key concepts.