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• Foreword \ Acknowledgements \ Glossary \
• 1. Approaching the Western Buddhist Experience \
• 2. Instruction and Practice at the Blue Mountains Insight Meditation Centre \
• 3. Self-Transformation through Vipassana Practice \
• 4. Participation and Exploration at Vajrayana Institute \
• 5. The Practice of Self-Transformation at Vajrayana Institute \
• 6. An Overview of the Experimental Journey: Vipassana- and Vajrayana-Insights\ Appendices \ Notes \ References \ Index.
• (source: Nielsen Book Data)

What does it mean to be a Western Buddhist? For the predominantly Anglo-Australian affiliates of two Western Buddhist centres in Australia, the author proposes an answer to this question, and finds support for it from interviews and her own participant-observation experience.Practitioners' prior experiences of experimentation with spiritual groups and practices-and their experiences of participation, practice and self-transformation-are examined with respect to their roles in practitioners' appropriation of the Buddhist worldview, and their subsequent commitment to the path to enlightenment.Religious commitment is experienced as a decision-point, itself the effect of the individual's experimental immersion in the Centre's activities.During this time the claims of the Buddhist worldview are tested against personal experience and convictions. Using rich ethnographic data and Lofland and Skonovd's experimental conversion motif as a model for theorizing the stages of involvement leading to commitment, the author demonstrates that this study has a wider application to our understanding of the role of alternative religions in western contexts.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

• List of Abbreviations-- Introduction--
• 1. Levinas and Rosenzweig: Messianism and Parody--
• 2. Levinas, Messianism and Humanism--
• 3. Messianism and 'Straighforwardness'--
• 4. Messianism in Totality and Infinity--
• 5. Messianism in Otherwise than Being-- Conclusion-- Bibliography-- Index.
• (source: Nielsen Book Data)

This title presents an analysis of 'messianism' in Continental philosophy, using a case study of Levinas to uncover its underlying philosophical intelligibility. There is no greater testament to Emmanuel Levinas' reputation as an enigmatic thinker than in his mediations on eschatology and its relevance for contemporary thought. Levinas has come to be seen as a principle representative in Continental philosophy - alongside the likes of Heidegger, Benjamin, Adorno and Zizek - of a certain philosophical messianism, differing from its religious counterpart in being formulated apparently without appeal to any dogmatic content. To date, however, Levinas' messianism has not received the same detailed attention as other aspects of his wide ranging ethical vision. Terence Holden attempts to redress this imbalance, tracing the evolution of the messianic idea across Levinas' career, emphasising the transformations or indeed displacements which this idea undergoes in taking on philosophical intelligibility. He suggests that, in order to crack the enigma which this idea represents, we must consider not only the Jewish tradition from which Levinas draws inspiration, but also Nietzsche, who ostensibly would represent the greatest rival to the messianic idea in the history of philosophy, with his notion of the 'parody' of messianism. This groundbreaking series offers original reflections on theory and method in the study of religions, and demonstrates new approaches to the way religious traditions are studied and presented. Studies published under its auspices look to clarify the role and place of Religious Studies in the academy, but not in a purely theoretical manner. Each study will demonstrate its theoretical aspects by applying them to the actual study of religions, often in the form of frontier research.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

• List of Abbreviations-- Introduction--
• 1. Levinas and Rosenzweig: Messianism and Parody--
• 2. Levinas, Messianism and Humanism--
• 3. Messianism and 'Straighforwardness'--
• 4. Messianism in Totality and Infinity--
• 5. Messianism in Otherwise than Being-- Conclusion-- Bibliography-- Index.
• (source: Nielsen Book Data)

This title presents an analysis of 'messianism' in Continental philosophy, using a case study of Levinas to uncover its underlying philosophical intelligibility. There is no greater testament to Emmanuel Levinas' reputation as an enigmatic thinker than in his mediations on eschatology and its relevance for contemporary thought. Levinas has come to be seen as a principle representative in Continental philosophy - alongside the likes of Heidegger, Benjamin, Adorno and Zizek - of a certain philosophical messianism, differing from its religious counterpart in being formulated apparently without appeal to any dogmatic content. To date, however, Levinas' messianism has not received the same detailed attention as other aspects of his wide ranging ethical vision. Terence Holden attempts to redress this imbalance, tracing the evolution of the messianic idea across Levinas' career, emphasising the transformations or indeed displacements which this idea undergoes in taking on philosophical intelligibility. He suggests that, in order to crack the enigma which this idea represents, we must consider not only the Jewish tradition from which Levinas draws inspiration, but also Nietzsche, who ostensibly would represent the greatest rival to the messianic idea in the history of philosophy, with his notion of the 'parody' of messianism. This groundbreaking series offers original reflections on theory and method in the study of religions, and demonstrates new approaches to the way religious traditions are studied and presented. Studies published under its auspices look to clarify the role and place of Religious Studies in the academy, but not in a purely theoretical manner. Each study will demonstrate its theoretical aspects by applying them to the actual study of religions, often in the form of frontier research.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

• Foreword by Professor Douglas Davies (University of Durham, UK)-- Introduction--
• 1. Interpretive Frameworks--
• 2. Bible-Copying (Ritual before Death)--
• 3. Funerary Practice (Ritual at Death)--
• 4. Ancestral Rites (Ritual After Death)-- Conclusion-- Bibliography-- Index.
• (source: Nielsen Book Data)

Cultural Blending in Korean Death Rites examines the cultural encounter of Confucianism and Christianity with particular reference to death rites in Korea. As its overarching interpretive framework, this book employs the idea of the total social phenomenon a concept first introduced by the French anthropologist Marcel Mauss (1872-1950). From the perspective of the total social phenomenon, this book utilizes a combination of theological, historical, sociological and anthropological approaches, and explores Korean death rites by classifying them into three categories: ritual before death (Bible copying), ritual at death (funerary rites), and ritual after death (ancestral ritual). It focuses on Christian practices as they epitomize the complex interplay of Confucianism and Christianity. By drawing on a total social phenomenon approach to the empirical case of Korean death rites, Chang-Won Park contributes to the advancement of theory and method in religious studies.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

• 1. Introduction--
• 2. Definition: What Are the Practices?--
• 3. History: How Have the Practices Spread?--
• 4. Survey: Where Have the Practices Spread?--
• 5. Discussions of the Practices--
• 6. Authority--
• 7. Tradition--
• 8. Appropriation--
• 9. Conclusions-- Bibliography-- Websites Cited-- Index.
• (source: Nielsen Book Data)

The meditative prayer practices known as Hesychasm and the Jesus Prayer have played an important role in the history of Eastern Orthodox Christianity. This book explores how these prayer practices have spread from a primarily monastic setting within Orthodox Christianity, into general Orthodox Christian usage, and finally into wider contemporary Western culture. As a result of this gradual geographic shift from a local to a global setting, caused mainly by immigration and dissemination of related texts, there has been a parallel shift of interpretation causing disagreement. By analyzing ongoing conversations on the practices, this book shows how such disagreements are due to differences in the way groups understand the ideas of authority and tradition. These fundamental ideas lie beneath much of the current discussion on particular aspects of the practices and also contribute to the wider academic debate over the globalization and appropriation of religious traditions.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)
This is an exploration of the global spread of Eastern Orthodox practices from local settings and the resulting divergence of interpretations as a struggle over larger issues. The meditative prayer practices known as Hesychasm and the Jesus Prayer have played an important role in the history of Eastern Orthodox Christianity. This book explores how these prayer practices have spread from a primarily monastic setting within Orthodox Christianity, into general Orthodox Christian usage, and finally into wider contemporary Western culture. As a result of this gradual geographic shift from a local to a global setting, caused mainly by immigration and dissemination of related texts, there has been a parallel shift of interpretation causing disagreement. By analyzing ongoing conversations on the practices, this book shows how such disagreements are due to differences in the way groups understand the ideas of authority and tradition. These fundamental ideas lie beneath much of the current discussion on particular aspects of the practices and also contribute to the wider academic debate over the globalization and appropriation of religious traditions. This groundbreaking new series offers original reflections on theory and method in the study of religions, and demonstrates new approaches to the way religious traditions are studied and presented. Studies published under its auspices look to clarify the role and place of Religious Studies in the academy, but not in a purely theoretical manner. Each study will demonstrate its theoretical aspects by applying them to the actual study of religions, often in the form of frontier research.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

• 1. Introduction--
• 2. Circling the Alter Stone: Bhuban Cave and the Symbolism of Religious Traditions--
• 3. Millenarianism and Refashioning the Social Fabric--
• 4. Changing Cosmology and the Process of Reform--
• 5. Negotiating Boundaries--
• 6. Community Imaginings and the Ideal of Heguangram--
• 7. Conclusion-- Bibliography-- Appendices.
• (source: Nielsen Book Data)

Reform, Identity and Narratives of Belonging focuses on the Heraka, a religious reform movement, and its impact on the Zeme, a Naga tribe, in the North Cachar Hills of Assam, India. Drawing upon critical studies of religion, cultural/ethnic identity, and nationalism, archival research in both India and Britain, and fieldwork in Assam, the book initiates new grounds for understanding the evolving notions of reform and identity in the emergence of a Heraka religion. Arkotong Longkumer argues that reform and identity are dynamically inter-related and linked to the revitalisation and negotiation of both tradition legitimising indigeneity, and change legitimising reform. The results have deepened, yet challenged, not only prevailing views of the Western construction of the category religion but also understandings of how marginalised communities use collective historical imagination to inspire self-identification through the discourse of religion. In conclusion, this book argues for a re-evaluation of the way in which multi-religious traditions interact to reshape identities and belongings.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

• 1. Introduction--
• 2. Circling the Alter Stone: Bhuban Cave and the Symbolism of Religious Traditions--
• 3. Millenarianism and Refashioning the Social Fabric--
• 4. Changing Cosmology and the Process of Reform--
• 5. Negotiating Boundaries--
• 6. Community Imaginings and the Ideal of Heguangram--
• 7. Conclusion-- Bibliography-- Appendices.
• (source: Nielsen Book Data)

"Reform, Identity and Narratives of Belonging" focuses on the Heraka movement and its impact on the Zeme, a 'Naga tribe', in the North Cachar Hills of Assam, India. The Heraka is a religious reform movement derived from the traditional practice known as Paupaise. It began as an anti-British and anti-Christian movement. It was organised from disparate groups of the early 1930s into a centralised and effective movement in 1974. This book will examine the formation of the movement through to its present state. The processes by which the movement has evolved, exhibiting the contextualisation of an indigenous identity, grounded in custom and tradition, are also outlined. By examining ideas of reform and identity, the book also analyses concepts such as millenarianism, ethnicity, nationalism, boundaries, pilgrimages, agrarian reforms, oral history, and the use of religious texts and the sacralisation of space to determine the efficacy of community formation. A critical examination is made regarding important concepts such as 'religion' within the corpus of the study, which offers better insights into the concept by rejecting universalist ideas embedded in the 'world religion' paradigm, while privileging local expressions. Moreover, an important theme emerges from the latter observation. Due to various exigencies, small religious communities such as the Heraka are also finding the 'world religion' paradigm a helpful tool to project themselves as pure, systematised, and believing communities - partly for the purpose of increasing their political profile or partly to accentuate the accepted paradigms of 'religion' as a form of survival for their own religious practice, at the same time invoking a discourse of indigeneity. This groundbreaking new series offers original reflections on theory and method in the study of religions, and demonstrates new approaches to the way religious traditions are studied and presented. Studies published under its auspices look to clarify the role and place of Religious Studies in the academy, but not in a purely theoretical manner. Each study will demonstrate its theoretical aspects by applying them to the actual study of religions, often in the form of frontier research.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)
Reform, Identity and Narratives of Belonging focuses on the Heraka, a religious reform movement, and its impact on the Zeme, a Naga tribe, in the North Cachar Hills of Assam, India. Drawing upon critical studies of religion, cultural/ethnic identity, and nationalism, archival research in both India and Britain, and fieldwork in Assam, the book initiates new grounds for understanding the evolving notions of reform and identity in the emergence of a Heraka religion. Arkotong Longkumer argues that reform and identity are dynamically inter-related and linked to the revitalisation and negotiation of both tradition legitimising indigeneity, and change legitimising reform. The results have deepened, yet challenged, not only prevailing views of the Western construction of the category religion but also understandings of how marginalised communities use collective historical imagination to inspire self-identification through the discourse of religion. In conclusion, this book argues for a re-evaluation of the way in which multi-religious traditions interact to reshape identities and belongings.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

• Introduction: Problems of Understanding Possession and Trance Lucy Huskinson and Bettina E. Schmidt (Bangor University, UK)--
• 1. Animism Rather than Shamanism: New Approaches to What Shamans Do (for Other Animists), Graham Harvey (The Open University, UK)--
• 2. Possession and Self-Possession: Towards an Integrated Mind-Body Perspective, Geoffrey Samuel (Cardiff University, UK)--
• 3. Spirit Possession, Seduction, and Collective Consciousness, Louise Child (Cardiff University, UK)--
• 4. Analytical Psychology and Spirit Possession. Towards a Non- Pathological Diagnosis of Spirit Possession, Lucy Huskinson (Bangor University, UK)--
• 5. Possessed Women in the African Diaspora: Gender Difference in Spirit Possession Rituals, Bettina E. Schmidt (Bangor University, UK)--
• 6. Somali Saar in the Era of Social and Religious Change, Marja Tiilikainen (University of Helsinki, Finland)--
• 7. Taking Possession of Santo Daime: The Growth of Umbanda within a Brazilian New Religion, Andrew Dawson (Lancaster University, UK)--
• 8. Spirit Attacks in Northern Namibia: Interpreting a New Phenomenon in an African Lutheran Context Kim Groop (Abo Akademi, Finland)--
• 9. Divine Possession and Divination in the Graeco-Roman World: The Evidence from Iamblichus' On the Mysteries, Crystal Addey (Bristol University, UK)--
• 10. Waking the Entranced: Reassessing Spiritualist Mediumship Through a Comparison of Spiritualist and Shamanic Spirit Possession Practices, David Gordon Wilson (University of Edinburgh, UK)--
• 11. To Perform Possession and To Be Possessed in Performance: The Actor, the Medium and an 'Other', Sarah Goldingay (Exeter University, UK)--
• 12. On the Transformation of the Spirit-Possession Film: Towards Rouch as 'Emergent Method', Saer Maty BS (University of St Andrews, UK)-- Bibliography-- Index.
• (source: Nielsen Book Data)

Spirit possession is a phenomenon that often elicits a response of fear, particular in those who are ignorant of its meaning and role within its particular religious and cultural traditions. Possession by divine beings (such as spirits or gods) is, however, a key practice in religions worldwide. It is therefore important to gain an understanding of this practice in its cultural context before trying to develop a wider theory about it. This fascinating book contains several case studies that present new interpretations of spirit possession worldwide. The authors show the diversity of possible interpretations and methodological approaches that provide a new insight into the understanding of possession and trance.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)
Key Concepts in Philosophy is a series of concise, accessible and engaging introductions to the core ideas and subjects encountered in the study of philosophy. Specially written to meet the needs of students and those with an interest in, but little prior knowledge of, philosophy, these books open up fascinating, yet sometimes difficult ideas. The series builds to give a solid grounding in philosophy and each book is also ideal as a companion to further study. The philosophy of mind - inquiry into just what the mind is and the nature of its relationship to the body - is one of Western philosophy's focal points. This is a comprehensive, clear and authoritative guide to the subject's history, its key themes and concepts, and those philosophers who have most influenced it, aimed at students encountering the discipline for the first time. The text illustrates the importance of the concept of mind in defining what it is to be human; this unifies the discussion and analysis of specific topics. Having outlined the major traditional accounts of the nature of the mind in western philosophy, the book goes on to examine such important concepts as subjectivity, intentionality and behaviour. The book also explores how far the concept of mind can be extended to animals and machines, such as computers and robots. Philosophy undergraduates will find this an invaluable aid to study, one that goes beyond simple definitions and summaries to really open up fascinating and important ideas and arguments.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)
This title offers new and invaluable insights into the understanding of possession and trance based on case studies from around the world. Spirit possession is a phenomenon that often elicits a response of fear, particular in those who are ignorant of its meaning and role within its particular religious and cultural traditions. Possession by divine beings (such as spirits or gods) is, however, a key practice in religions worldwide. It is therefore important to gain an understanding of this practice in its cultural context before trying to develop a wider theory about it. This fascinating book contains several case studies that present new interpretations of spirit possession worldwide. The authors show the diversity of possible interpretations and methodological approaches that provide a new insight into the understanding of possession and trance. This groundbreaking new series offers original reflections on theory and method in the study of religions, and demonstrates new approaches to the way religious traditions are studied and presented. Studies published under its auspices look to clarify the role and place of Religious Studies in the academy, but not in a purely theoretical manner. Each study will demonstrate its theoretical aspects by applying them to the actual study of religions, often in the form of frontier research.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

• Foreword by Gavin Flood-- Acknowledgements-- Abbreviations of Primary Sources-- Introduction-- Part I--
• 1. Comparison, Universalism, and the Rehabilitation of the Comparative 'Similar'--
• 2. Early Civilizations, Contact, Diffusion, and Cultural Continuity--
• 3. Near-Death Experience-- Part II--
• 4. Old and Middle Kingdom Egypt--
• 5. Sumerian and Old Babylonian Mesopotamia--
• 6. Vedic India--
• 7. Pre-Buddhist China--
• 8. Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica-- Part III--
• 9. Analysis of Similarities and Differences--
• 10. The Interface of Conception and Experience--
• 11. Alternative and Supplementary Theories--
• 12. Conclusions: Theoretical Eclecticism and A New Comparative Framework-- References-- Index.
• (source: Nielsen Book Data)

Gregory Shushan challenges post-modern scholarly attitudes concerning cross-cultural comparisons in the study of religions. In an original and innovative piece of comparative research, he analyses afterlife conceptions in five ancient civilisations (Old and Middle Kingdom Egypt, Sumerian and Old Babylonian Mesopotamia, Vedic India, pre-Buddhist China, and pre-Columbian Mesoamerica).These are considered in light of historical and contemporary reports of near-death experiences, and shamanic afterlife 'journeys'. "Conceptions of the Afterlife in Early Civilizations" is a significant study, for it presents a comprehensive new comparative framework for the cross-cultural study of myth and religion, while at the same time providing a fascinating exploration of the interface between belief and experience.This groundbreaking new series offers original reflections on theory and method in the study of religions, and demonstrates new approaches to the way religious traditions are studied and presented.Studies published under its auspices look to clarify the role and place of Religious Studies in the academy, but not in a purely theoretical manner. Each study will demonstrate its theoretical aspects by applying them to the actual study of religions, often in the form of frontier research.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

• pt.
• 1. Theory and methodology in concept and application
• pt.
• 2. Conceptions of the afterlife in early civilizations
• pt.
• 3. Universalism and culture-specificity: an interdisciplinary approach.

Gregory Shushan challenges post-modern scholarly attitudes concerning cross-cultural comparisons in the study of religions. In an original and innovative piece of comparative research, he analyses afterlife conceptions in five ancient civilisations (Old and Middle Kingdom Egypt, Sumerian and Old Babylonian Mesopotamia, Vedic India, pre-Buddhist China, and pre-Columbian Mesoamerica). These are considered in light of historical and contemporary reports of near-death experiences, and shamanic afterlife 'journeys'. Conceptions of the Afterlife in Early Civilizations is a significant study, for it presents a comprehensive new comparative framework for the cross-cultural study of myth and religion, while at the same time providing a fascinating exploration of the interface between belief and experience.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

• Introduction. Jung's influence on Campbell-- Overview-- Methodological reflection-- What this book aims to achieve--
• Part 1 - Jung-- 1 The development of Jung's ideas about the concept of the archetype-- Early developments-- "On the nature of the psyche"-- Synchronicity-- 2 The Ideas of Anthony Stevens-- Ideas expressed in the book "Archetype Revisited"-- Steven's take on Jung's ideas about religion-- Conclusion--
• Part 2 Campbell-- 3 Campbell's Life-- Boyhood and student years-- Development of core ideas-- Professional career-- 4 Phase One and Two of Campbell's Career-- Which books by Jung did Campbell own?-- Phase one (1944-1959)-- Phase two (1959-1968)-- 5 Phase Three of Campbell's Life-- 6 Conclusion-- The model of the three phases: a summary-- Overview and close analysis of my most important arguments-- Campbell as a 'post-Jungian'-- Reflections on the potential benefits of my findings--
• Appendix I-- Bibliography.
• (source: Nielsen Book Data)

Joseph Campbell (1904-1988) was one of the most well-known and popular scholars of myth and comparative religion of the twentieth century. His work, however, has never fully received the same amount of scholarly interest and critical reflection that some of his contemporaries have received. In this book, based on extensive research in the Joseph Campbell Archive in Santa Barbara, Ritske Rensma shows that reflecting on C.G. Jung's influence on Campbell greatly furthers our understanding of these ideas, and that once this goal is achieved it becomes obvious that Campbell was a scholar whose ideas are still of significance today. Following Jung's lead, Campbell put great emphasis on the innate structures of the mind, an approach which pre-echoes the current 'evolutionary turn' in fields such as cognitive theory, psychology, psychiatry and neurobiology. This study will therefore not just be of interest to students and scholars interested in psychological approaches to the study of religion as well as Jung and Campbell, but also to those with an interest in recent developments in the above-mentioned fields.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)
This is a study of Joseph Campbell (1904-1988), one of the most well-known and popular scholars of myth and comparative religion of the twentieth century. Joseph Campbell (1904-1988) was one of the most well-known and popular scholars of myth and comparative religion of the twentieth century. His work, however, has never fully received the same amount of scholarly interest and critical reflection that some of his contemporaries have received. In this book, based on extensive research in the Joseph Campbell Archive in Santa Barbara, Ritske Rensma shows that reflecting on C.G. Jung's influence on Campbell greatly furthers our understanding of these ideas, and that once this goal is achieved it becomes obvious that Campbell was a scholar whose ideas are still of significance today. Following Jung's lead, Campbell put great emphasis on the innate structures of the mind, an approach which pre-echoes the current 'evolutionary turn' in fields such as cognitive theory, psychology, psychiatry and neurobiology. This study will therefore not just be of interest to students and scholars interested in psychological approaches to the study of religion as well as Jung and Campbell, but also to those with an interest in recent developments in the above-mentioned fields. This groundbreaking new series offers original reflections on theory and method in the study of religions, and demonstrates new approaches to the way religious traditions are studied and presented. Studies published under its auspices look to clarify the role and place of Religious Studies in the academy, but not in a purely theoretical manner.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

• Introduction. Jung's influence on Campbell-- Overview-- Methodological reflection-- What this book aims to achieve--
• Part 1 - Jung-- 1 The development of Jung's ideas about the concept of the archetype-- Early developments-- "On the nature of the psyche"-- Synchronicity-- 2 The Ideas of Anthony Stevens-- Ideas expressed in the book "Archetype Revisited"-- Steven's take on Jung's ideas about religion-- Conclusion--
• Part 2 Campbell-- 3 Campbell's Life-- Boyhood and student years-- Development of core ideas-- Professional career-- 4 Phase One and Two of Campbell's Career-- Which books by Jung did Campbell own?-- Phase one (1944-1959)-- Phase two (1959-1968)-- 5 Phase Three of Campbell's Life-- 6 Conclusion-- The model of the three phases: a summary-- Overview and close analysis of my most important arguments-- Campbell as a 'post-Jungian'-- Reflections on the potential benefits of my findings--
• Appendix I-- Bibliography.
• (source: Nielsen Book Data)

Joseph Campbell (1904-1988) was one of the most well-known and popular scholars of myth and comparative religion of the twentieth century. His work, however, has never fully received the same amount of scholarly interest and critical reflection that some of his contemporaries have received. In this book, based on extensive research in the Joseph Campbell Archive in Santa Barbara, Ritske Rensma shows that reflecting on C.G. Jung's influence on Campbell greatly furthers our understanding of these ideas, and that once this goal is achieved it becomes obvious that Campbell was a scholar whose ideas are still of significance today. Following Jung's lead, Campbell put great emphasis on the innate structures of the mind, an approach which pre-echoes the current 'evolutionary turn' in fields such as cognitive theory, psychology, psychiatry and neurobiology. This study will therefore not just be of interest to students and scholars interested in psychological approaches to the study of religion as well as Jung and Campbell, but also to those with an interest in recent developments in the above-mentioned fields.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)
This is a study of Joseph Campbell (1904-1988), one of the most well-known and popular scholars of myth and comparative religion of the twentieth century. Joseph Campbell (1904-1988) was one of the most well-known and popular scholars of myth and comparative religion of the twentieth century. His work, however, has never fully received the same amount of scholarly interest and critical reflection that some of his contemporaries have received. In this book, based on extensive research in the Joseph Campbell Archive in Santa Barbara, Ritske Rensma shows that reflecting on C.G. Jung's influence on Campbell greatly furthers our understanding of these ideas, and that once this goal is achieved it becomes obvious that Campbell was a scholar whose ideas are still of significance today. Following Jung's lead, Campbell put great emphasis on the innate structures of the mind, an approach which pre-echoes the current 'evolutionary turn' in fields such as cognitive theory, psychology, psychiatry and neurobiology. This study will therefore not just be of interest to students and scholars interested in psychological approaches to the study of religion as well as Jung and Campbell, but also to those with an interest in recent developments in the above-mentioned fields. This groundbreaking new series offers original reflections on theory and method in the study of religions, and demonstrates new approaches to the way religious traditions are studied and presented. Studies published under its auspices look to clarify the role and place of Religious Studies in the academy, but not in a purely theoretical manner.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

• Towards a theory of interreligious dialogue for peacebuilding
• Interreligious relations in the Balkans : an overview
• Interreligious peacebuilding in the Balkans : structural developments
• Major achievements and challenges in interreligious dialogue for peacebuilding in the Balkans
• Policy recommendations.

• Towards a theory of interreligious dialogue for peacebuilding
• Interreligious relations in the Balkans : an overview
• Interreligious peacebuilding in the Balkans : structural developments
• Major achievements and challenges in interreligious dialogue for peacebuilding in the Balkans
• Policy recommendations.

"Religion as a Conversation Starter" is the first comprehensive analysis of the present state of interreligious dialogue for peacebuilding in Southeast Europe. It is based on empirically grounded and policy-oriented research, carried out throughout the Balkans. The study maps recent interreligious relations in this part of the world, throwing light on both the achievements and challenges of interreligious dialogue for peacebuilding in particular, and offering a set of up-to-date policy recommendations, whilst contributing to a greater understanding of the local particularities and how they relate to broader trends transnationally. Interreligious dialogue has been a central tool in the continuous international efforts to promote peaceful living together in multicultural and multireligious societies. This fascinating monograph explores the place of interreligious dialogue as a primary method in conflict resolution and peacebuilding, and will be of interest to scholars of religious and peace studies, as well as those who advocate and carry out organized interventions in religion-related spheres.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

• Religious studies versus theology : why I'm still glad that I converted from theology to religious studies / Denise Cush
• Theology and religious studies for a multifaith and secular society / David F. Ford
• Theology and religious studies, or theology versus religious studies? / Gavin D'Costa
• Theology as the past and future of religious studies : an incarnational approach / Erik Borgman and Stephan van Erp
• The irony of religious studies : a pro-theological argument from the Swedish experience / Mattias Martinson
• The inevitability of normativity in the study of religion : theology in religious studies / Thomas A. Lewis
• Towards a socio-cultural, non-theological definition of religion / James L. Cox
• A spatial analysis of the relationship between theology and religious studies : knowledge-power strategies and metaphors of containment and separation / Kim Knott
• "A coat of many colours" : interweaving strands in theology and religious studies / Ursula King
• Interdisciplinary theology : bridging the theology/religious studies divide / Shannon Craigo-Snell
• Recent developments in theology and religious studies : the South African experience / J. Jarvis and C.A.E. Moodie
• The place of theology in Iranian universities : the challenges of teaching theology in modern Iran / Mohammad Sadegh Zahedi
• The Bible : fringe or hinge? / Hugh Pyper.

Theology and religious studies co-exist in the majority of departments in higher education institutions within the UK, yet there has been very little debate or discussion on how these two disciplines relate to one another in this context and on a more general level. This new collection of essays aims to redress the balance and to add to fruitful discussion in this area Including essays by some of today's leading academics on the sometimes contentious relationship between religious studies - or the study of religions - and theology, this volume is international in scope, with contributions from.

• 1. Introduction: The centrality of protocols--
• 2. The repression of Native American religions and the rise of Lakota spirituality--
• 3. Declaration against the appropriation of Native American spirituality--
• 4. 'Hucksters' and 'wannabes': New Age appropriations of Native American spirituality--
• 5. Intertribal borrowing of ceremonies among the Mi'Kmaq of Newfoundland--
• 6. Academic exploitation? Current debates in the study of Native American religions--
• 7. Conclusion.
• (source: Nielsen Book Data)

A fascinating and important volume which brings together new perspectives on the objections to, and appropriation of Native American Spirituality. Native Americans and Canadians are largely romanticised or sidelined figures in modern society. Their spirituality has been appropriated on a relatively large scale by Europeans and non-Native Americans, with little concern for the diversity of Native American opinions. Suzanne Owen offers an insight into appropriation that will bring a new understanding and perspective to these debates.This important volume collects together these key debates from the last few years and sets them in context, analyses Native American objections to appropriations of their spirituality and examines 'New Age' practices based on Native American spirituality." The Appropriation of Native American Spirituality" includes the findings of fieldwork among the Mi'Kmaq of Newfoundland on the sharing of ceremonies between Native Americans and First Nations, which highlights an aspect of the debate that has been under-researched in both anthropology and religious studies: that Native American discourses about the breaking of 'protocols', rules on the participation and performance of ceremonies, is at the heart of objections to the appropriation of Native American spirituality.This groundbreaking new series offers original reflections on theory and method in the study of religions, and demonstrates new approaches to the way religious traditions are studied and presented.Studies published under its auspices look to clarify the role and place of Religious Studies in the academy, but not in a purely theoretical manner. Each study will demonstrate its theoretical aspects by applying them to the actual study of religions, often in the form of frontier research.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

• 1. Introduction: The centrality of protocols--
• 2. The repression of Native American religions and the rise of Lakota spirituality--
• 3. Declaration against the appropriation of Native American spirituality--
• 4. 'Hucksters' and 'wannabes': New Age appropriations of Native American spirituality--
• 5. Intertribal borrowing of ceremonies among the Mi'Kmaq of Newfoundland--
• 6. Academic exploitation? Current debates in the study of Native American religions--
• 7. Conclusion.
• (source: Nielsen Book Data)

A fascinating and important volume which brings together new perspectives on the objections to, and appropriation of Native American Spirituality. Native Americans and Canadians are largely romanticised or sidelined figures in modern society. Their spirituality has been appropriated on a relatively large scale by Europeans and non-Native Americans, with little concern for the diversity of Native American opinions. Suzanne Owen offers an insight into appropriation that will bring a new understanding and perspective to these debates.This important volume collects together these key debates from the last few years and sets them in context, analyses Native American objections to appropriations of their spirituality and examines 'New Age' practices based on Native American spirituality." The Appropriation of Native American Spirituality" includes the findings of fieldwork among the Mi'Kmaq of Newfoundland on the sharing of ceremonies between Native Americans and First Nations, which highlights an aspect of the debate that has been under-researched in both anthropology and religious studies: that Native American discourses about the breaking of 'protocols', rules on the participation and performance of ceremonies, is at the heart of objections to the appropriation of Native American spirituality.This groundbreaking new series offers original reflections on theory and method in the study of religions, and demonstrates new approaches to the way religious traditions are studied and presented.Studies published under its auspices look to clarify the role and place of Religious Studies in the academy, but not in a purely theoretical manner. Each study will demonstrate its theoretical aspects by applying them to the actual study of religions, often in the form of frontier research.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

• 1. Introduction: Defining Religion--
• 2. On Ethnography--
• 3. Situational Belief--
• 4. Of Graveyards and Kitchens--
• 5. Of Star Signs and Soap Operas--
• 6. Where are all the Men?--
• 7. Returning to the Elementary Forms of Religious Life.
• (source: Nielsen Book Data)

Is a person sitting next to a grave of a loved one, talking to the deceased person, engaging in a religious act? Many traditional definitions of religion would probably say no. However, the research that forms the basis of this book suggests that such activity is very widespread in contemporary Britain and the author aims to argue that it is probably much more typical of a fundamental religious act than much of what happens in churches, synagogues or mosques.Beginning with the definitions of religion provided by a number of anthropologists and sociologists this book claims that the large majority of these definitions have been influenced by Christian thinking, so leading to definitions that stress the systematic nature of religion, the importance of the transcendental and the transformative activity of religion.Through a detailed exploration of a number of ethnographic studies of religious activity in various parts of England, these aspects of traditional definitions are challenged.Martin Stringer argues, borrowing Durkheim's language, that the most elementary form of religious life in many Western societies today, and by implication in many other societies around the world, is situational, mundane and concerned with helping people to cope with their day to day lives. This groundbreaking new series offers original reflections on theory and method in the study of religions, and demonstrates new approaches to the way religious traditions are studied and presented.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

• 1. Religion, Spirituality and Contemporary Shamanic Practice in Scotland - Exploring the Relationships--
• 2. The Impacts of Transformational Cultural Change on Religion and Spirituality--
• 3. Seeking a New Definition of Religion--
• 4. What is Shamanism?--
• 5. A Case Study of Three Shamanic Practice Groups in Scotland--
• 6. Exploring Connections Between Cross-Cultural Shamanic Elements and Neo-Shamanic Expressions in Scotland: Interviews, Participant Observation, and Analysis--
• 7. Applying Hervieu-Leger's Analytical Model of Religion to Reveal a Lineage of Spirituality, not Belief, in the Shamanic Chain of Memory--
• 8. Patterns, Conclusions, and Resulting Issues--
• 9. Seeing Differently - A New Paradigm of Spirituality and Religion-- Bibliography.
• (source: Nielsen Book Data)

Weaving theory and practice together, MaryCatherine Burgess explores the historically difficult relationship between religion and spirituality by applying cross-cultural elements of shamanism and Dani??le Hervieu-L??ger's Model of 'Religion as a Chain of Memory' to her study of contemporary shamanic practice in Scotland. Within the context of cultural and religious change, she utilises Hervieu-L??ger's analytical model to uncover a shamanic worldview that carries in its memory and practice a lineage of spirituality, not belief. This distinction sheds critical light on a new paradigm of spirituality and religion that reflects how many in Western societies currently respond to institutional religion.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

• Acknowledgements-- Preface-- Introduction--
• 1. The discourse on modernity--
• 2. The aesthetic critique of modernity-- Part I--
• 3. The phenomenology of religion--
• 4. Nietzsche--
• 5. Marx--
• 6. Freud--
• 7. Facts or values?--
• 8. Rational history, rational speech--
• 9. Of writing, representing and evoking--
• 10. The aesthetics of the sacred--
• 11. Summary-- Part II--
• 12. On madness: Michel Foucault--
• 13. The possession at Loudun: Michel de Certeau--
• 14. Religion and the absence of God: Jacques Derrida--
• 15. Summary-- Part III-- 16.Phenomenology and post-modernism revisited--
• 17. A return to ideology--
• 18. Summary-- Part IV--
• 19. Conclusions-- Bibliography-- Index.
• (source: Nielsen Book Data)

The point of departure for this book is the debate about whether religious studies should privilege explanation or understanding. Engaging with contemporary scholarship in the field, Tremlett argues that the study of religions has always involved the conflation of facts and values and indeed has been structured in advance by the value-saturated discourse on disenchanted modernity. He argues that phenomenological and post-modern approaches to religions lack both theoretical and methodological coherence, and in their stead proposes a Marxist approach to religions that is at once empirical and informed by values pertaining to social justice, freedom and autonomy.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)