Now available in a revised second edition, this popular introduction to the anthropology of religion combines
discussion of the origin and development of debates within the field, with a look at where the subject is heading.
Introduces readers to the central theoretical ideas in the anthropology of religion and illustrates them with
specific case studies.
Features self-contained chapters, each with its own comprehensive bibliography, so that they can be approached
in any order.
Contains an additional chapter on mythology and a number of new illustrations.
Incorporates coverage of the following topics in the existing structure: pilgrimage, spirit possession and
cargo cults.
Includes a list of ethnographic films and videos that can be used to illustrate and extend discussion of particular
issues.
Table of Contents
Preface to the Second Edition
Preface to the First Edition
Acknowledgments
1 Theories and Controversies
2 The Body as Symbol
3 Maintaining and Transforming Boundaries: the Politics of Religious Identity
4 Sex, Gender, and the Sacred
5 Religion, Culture, and Environment
6 Ritual Theory, Rites of Passage, and Ritual Violence
