Critical Terms for Religious StudiesMark C. Taylor A century that began with modernism sweeping across Europe is ending with a remarkable resurgence of religious beliefs and practices throughout the world. Wherever one looks today, from headlines about political turmoil in the Middle East to pop music and videos, one cannot escape the pivotal role of religious beliefs and practices in shaping selves, societies, and cultures. Following in the very successful tradition of Critical Terms for Literary Studies and Critical Terms for Art History, this book attempts to provide a revitalized, self-aware vocabulary with which this bewildering religious diversity can be accurately described and responsibly discussed. Leading scholars working in a variety of traditions demonstrate through their incisive discussions that even our most basic terms for understanding religion are not neutral but carry specific historical and conceptual freight. These essays adopt the approach that has won this book's predecessors such widespread acclaim: each provides a concise history of a critical term, explores the issues raised by the term, and puts the term to use in an analysis of a religious work, practice, or event. Moving across Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, and Native American and Mayan religions, contributors explore terms ranging from experience, territory, and image, to God, sacrifice, and transgression. The result is an essential reference that will reshape the field of religious studies and transform the way in which religion is understood by scholars from all disciplines, including anthropology, sociology, psychology, cultural studies, gender studies, and literary studies. |
Contents
| 1 | |
1 Belief | 21 |
2 Body | 36 |
3 Conflict | 55 |
4 Culture | 70 |
5 Experience | 94 |
6 Gender | 117 |
7 God | 136 |
13 Rationality | 239 |
14 Relic | 256 |
15 Religion Religions Religious | 269 |
16 Sacrifice | 285 |
17 Territory | 298 |
18 Time | 314 |
19 Transformation | 334 |
20 Transgression | 349 |
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Abraham analysis anthropology argued Azande become belief body Buddhist Cambridge Cathars century Christian church claim complex concept consciousness contemporary context critical critique culture Descartes discourse distinct divine edited Eliade Emmanuel Lévinas essay ethical ethnographic example Foucault G. E. M. Anscombe gender gion Hegel hermeneutics human idea important interpretation Islam Jonathan Z Judaism kabalistic language liberation logic male Maya meaning Medjugorje metaphor modern moral mystical myth narrative nature negative theology notion object performance person philosophy Plotinus political postmodern practices present Princeton question rational reality refer relation relics religious experience religious studies religious traditions ritual role sacred sacrifice samatha scholars Scripture secular sense sexual Sinhalese social society spirit study of religion suggests symbol territory texts theology theory thinking thought tion transcendent transformation transgression translated truth understanding University of Chicago University Press vipassanā Western women word writing York