The Anthropology of Religion An Introduction

The second edition of this popular introduction to the anthropology of religion now features new chapters on mythology and pilgrimage, as well as coverage of topics such as spirit possession and cargo cults. The volume: bull; bull;Introduces readers to the central theoretical ideas in the anthropology of religion, illustrating them with specific case studies; bull;Features self-contained chapters, each with its own comprehensive bibliography, so that they can be approached in any order; bull;Develops ideas throughout the book, linking the work of nineteenth- and early twentieth-century scholars, and contemporary ideas and practices; bull;Includes an appendix offering a list of ethnographic films and videos that can be used to illustrate and extend the discussion of particular issues. This accessible textbook will inspire students to explore the field further and encourage them to see that anthropology is not just about reading or doing fieldwork, but offers an enriching way of looking at the world.

Fiona Bowie is Senior Lecturer in Anthropology and Religious Studies at the University of Bristol.

Preface to the Second Edition	p. xiii
Preface to the First Edition	p. ix
Acknowledgments	p. xi
Theories and Controversies	p. 1
Introduction	p. 1
Issues in the Study of Religion	p. 2
The Origins of Religion	p. 12
Defining Religion	p. 18
Conclusion	p. 25
Notes	p. 26
References and Further Reading	p. 29
The Body as Symbol	p. 34
Introduction	p. 34
Symbolic Classification and the Body	p. 35
Training the Body and Social Control	p. 49
Personal and Cultural Symbols	p. 54
Conclusion	p. 57
Notes	p. 58
References and Further Reading	p. 59
Maintaining and Transforming Boundaries: the Politics of Religious Identity	p. 62
Introduction	p. 62
Ritual Purity and Social Boundaries	p. 64
Negotiating Identities	p. 68
Contesting Boundaries	p. 73
Conclusion	p. 78
Notes	p. 79
References and Further Reading	p. 79
Sex, Gender, and the Sacred	p. 82
Introduction	p. 82
Looking at Women	p. 84
Reflexivity and Gender	p. 89
Gendered Studies	p. 92
Conclusion	p. 101
Notes	p. 101
References and Further Reading	p. 103
Religion, Culture, and Environment	p. 107
Introduction	p. 107
Cosmology	p. 108
Mythology, Gender, and the Environment	p. 117
Totemism and the Dreamtime	p. 124
Conclusion	p. 131
Notes	p. 132
References and Further Reading	p. 133
Ritual Theory, Rites of Passage, and Ritual Violence	p. 138
Introduction	p. 138
What is Ritual?	p. 140
Rites of Passage	p. 147
Ritual Violence	p. 161
Conclusion	p. 168
Notes	p. 168
References and Further Reading	p. 169
Shamanism	p. 174
Introduction	p. 174
Different Approaches to the Study of Shamanism	p. 175
Arctic Shamanism	p. 181
Shamanism in the Industrialized West	p. 191
Conclusion	p. 195
Notes	p. 196
References and Further Reading	p. 197
Witchcraft and the Evil Eye	p. 200
Introduction	p. 200
Witchcraft in Africa	p. 202
Witchcraft in Rural France	p. 212
The Evil Eye	p. 215
The Mentalities Debate	p. 220
Notes	p. 229
References and Further Reading	p. 232
Pilgrimage	p. 237
Introduction	p. 237
Approaches to the Study of Pilgrimage	p. 238
The Politics of Religious Synthesis	p. 252
Conclusion	p. 258
Notes	p. 259
References and Further Reading	p. 262
Myth	p. 267
Introduction	p. 267
Myth and Ritual	p. 269
Malinowski and the Function of Myth	p. 272
The Power of Myth	p. 275
The Structural Study of Myth	p. 279
Joseph Campbell and the Monomyth	p. 284
History, Myth, and Memory	p. 291
Conclusion	p. 298
Notes	p. 298
References and Further Reading	p. 301
Film and Video Resources	p. 305
Index	p. 324
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The Anthropology of Religion An Introduction

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