A reader in the anthropology of religion

A Reader in the Anthropology of Religion is a collection of some of the most significant classic and contemporary writings within the anthropology of religion. Editor Michael Lambek has taken care to avoid reifying the category of religion and the various topics often subsumed within it. Indeed, a major contribution by anthropologists has been to challenge these kinds of categories, which stem from Western thought and language, Christianity, and ethnocentric views of non–Western people. This Reader includes material whose theme is "religion" in a straightforward and obvious sense, as well as contributions that expand how we might look at religion – and the horizons of what we mean by "religion" – linking it to broader questions of culture and politics. Designed for maximum utility, the volume includes a general introduction as well as an extensive bibliography indexed according to both ethnographic region and religious topics and practices, in order to enhance its accessibility. Each section and individual entry in the volume includes brief prefatory remarks by the editor and suggestions for further reading.