Table of Contents

Introduction Part One: The Fundamentals of an Anthropological Study of Religion 1. Studying Religion Anthropologically: Definitions and Theories 2. Religious Beliefs 3. Religious Symbols and Specialists 4. Religious Language 5. Religious Behavior 6. Religious Values and Functions Part Two: Religion in the Modern World 7. Religion as a Force for Adaptation and Change 8. New Religious Movements: The Continuous Creation of Religions 9. Religion and Violence 10. Alternatives and Challenges to Religion: Pluralism, Secularization, Humanism, and Science 11. Fundamentalism as a Cultural System. 12. Religion in American Society

About the Author

Jack David Eller teaches Anthropology at the Metropolitan State College of Denver. His previous publications include Violence and Culture: An Interdisciplinary and Cross-Cultural Approach (2005) and Culture and the Real World: Core Concepts of Cultural Anthropology Applied to Contemporary World Issues (2006).

Reviews

'One of the most engaging, comprehensive, and compelling overviews of anthropology of religion ever published. Eller successfully integrates and interprets a wide array of ethnographic information, giving ample attention to both past contributions and contemporary perspectives. Beginning students and specialists alike will learn much from this volume.' - Stephen D. Glazier, University of Nebraska-Lincoln