Religions of the World: An Introduction to Culture and Meaning

Contemporary introductions to the study of religion generally align with either historical or phenomenological approaches. Increasingly, however, methodologies from the social sciences are being employed. This new survey text for comparative religion, authored and edited by Lawrence Sullivan, successfully marries traditional approaches with analysis drawn from anthropology and sociology to explain the making of meaning in leading religious traditions. Within this full-color text, sacred space, ritual performance, and sacred texts figure in each religious tradition's portrait, along with historical overviews and phenomenological insights, to show the rich diversity of religious belief and practice. Distinctive in this volume are separate chapters on the diversity of Christianity across the globe. Features include numerous photographs of art and artifacts, maps, timelines, tables, textboxes, pedagogy, and a glossary.