Theories of Religion: A Reader

by Seth Daniel Kunin, Jonathan Miles-Watson (Editor)

This book provides a comprehensive selection of readings that relate to and explore the definition of religion. The texts come from a wide range of approaches, unified both by the questions they are addressing and their broadly social scientific perspective. The disciplines covered include anthropology, phenomenology, psychology and sociology. The editors have also included some key texts relating to the feminist approach to and critique of religion.             The first section of the book includes some of the foundational texts, such as materials by Marx, Freud, and Durkheim. The remaining sections look at more recent discussions of the issues from the different disciplinary perspectives. Each reading is introduced by a biographical sketch of the author. The book also includes introductory discussions to each section that both raise the key issues developed in a particular discipline and address the disciplinary approaches from a more critical stance.             Theories of A Reader is an invaluable critical resource, accessible to a broad audience as well as students of theology and religious studies.

Genres: Religion

524 pages, Paperback

First published May 10, 2006

About the author

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (International), Curtin University of Technology, Perth, Western Australia.

A prominent anthropologist, Professor Kunin received his BA from Columbia University in New York and his PhD in Anthropology from the University of Cambridge in the UK. His research focused on the application of structuralist theory and methodology to Jewish texts and culture.