This comprehensive introduction to the nature and variety of religious phenomena, belief, and practice provides the reader with an understanding of what religion is, of the universal forms of religious experience, and of the basic concepts that make up a religious worldview. By employing a comparative analysis across a rich range of ancient and modern religious traditions, this introduction allows readers to see the ways in which certain classic forms of religious life appear in different societies over time, as well as to recognize the incredible diversity of human religious expression and belief. Divided into three parts, Part I covers the problem of defining religion; the importance of the study of religion; and the methods used in the study of religion. Part II covers the sacred and holy; religious symbolism; myth, and doctrine; sacred ritual; sacred scripture; and the social dimensions of religion. Part III includes analyses of concepts such as deity; cosmogony; the human problem; theodicy, ethics; the ways to salvation or liberation; and the end or goal of salvation. For those interested in examining aspects of the comparative and theoretical study of religion.
