Crapo, Richley H. : Utah State University -- Logan
Summary
This text offers an alternative to the case-driven approach that the sole use of a reader tends to foster. It
provides students with ways of conceptualizing what religion is, what its social and psychological functions are,
the nature of religious symbolism and religious behavior, and the organizational structure of religions. This text
covers all the standard topics (e.g., ideology and symbolism, ritual and ceremony, organizational forms, and social
and psychological functions of religion) as well as ones of more recent interest such as religion and gender, the
psychology of religion, and pilgrimage.
Features :
Offers students a systematic examination of the basic concepts used by anthropologists for defining religion
and its subsystems of religious ideology, religious social organization, religious technology, and religious behavior.
It examines the historic issues that have been involved in the search for a cross-culturally valid definition
of religion and places religion in the broader context of expressive culture, highlighting the similarities and
differences between religion, art, play and other forms of expressive culture.
Extended narrative examples illustrate the theoretical and analytic discussions in the text, expose students
to a variety of different religions, and provide real-world examples of the concepts of each chapter.
An integrated student study guide (self-test materials) at the end of each chapter allows students to evaluate
their own mastery of each chapter, determine what they need to review further, and prepare for course tests.
The text is copiously illustrated with ethnographic examples from both western and nonwestern religions.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Anthropological Viewpoints about Religion
Chapter 2: Diversity and Unity in the World's Religions
Chapter 3: Religion as Expressive Culture
Chapter 4: The Psychology of Religion
Chapter 5: Religious Beliefs and Symbols
Chapter 6: Language, Belief, and Religion
Chapter 7: Religious Ritual
Chapter 8: Religious Social Organization
Chapter 9: Religion and Social Order : Economics, Politics and Gender
