This introductory text combines discussion of the origin and development of ideas and debates within the anthropology of religion with a look at where the subject is going today. Provides students with a complete introduction to the anthropology of religion Uses worldwide ethnographies to illustrate the theory Includes extensive bibliographies and a list of films and videos that encourage students to explore the field further Encourages students to see that anthropology is not just about reading or doing fieldwork, but offers an enriching way of looking at the world Each chapter introduces the central theoretical ideas in the anthropology of religion and illustrates them with specific case studies, such as witchcraft in Cameroon, shamanism in the Arctic, or women's initiation ceremonies Links contemporary ideas and practices with the work of nineteenth- and early twentieth-century scholars.
Bowie's Introduction to The Anthropology of Religion is well written and introduces the reader to a broad spectrum of religions and worldviews. Basic and complex perspectives are presented in a format that is understandable and enlightening. I highly recommend this reading. I plan to use it as a introductory textbook in my Anthropology of Religion class.
The Anthropology of Religion: An Introduction
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 17 years ago
The Anthropology of Religion: An Introduction by Fiona Bowie is a fascinating textbook that takes up subjects such as "The body as a symbol", "Sex, gender and the sacred" and Shamanism to mention a few. Bowie writes with authority on all the subjects and seems to truly know what she is writing about. In fact she inspires the reader to further ones knowledge in several fields and this is indeed a tall task as many textbooks are quite difficult and taxing to read and one does it merely to finish a class. The chapters that I thought were the best where the following, "Maintaining and transforming boundaries: the politics of religious identity" and the chapter that took up gender and the sacred was also great. I highly recommend this textbook and I will definitely buy the next edition whenever that is published.
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