num_pages: 304
description: Seven Theories of Religion introduces a sequence of "classic" attempts to explain religion scientifically, presenting each in brief outline and in non-technical language. It considers first the views of E.B. Tylor and James Frazer, two Victorian pioneers in anthropology and the comparativestudy of religion. It explores the controversial "reductionist" approaches of Freud, Marx, and Emile Durkheim, then explains the program of their most outspoken opponent, the Romanian-American scholar Mircea Eliade. Further on, it examines certain newer methods and ideas advanced by the Englishethnographer E.E. Evans-Pritchard and by the American Clifford Geertz, two of the present century's most celebrated names in fieldwork anthropology. Each chapter offers biographical background, exposition of the theory, comparative analysis, and critical assessment. Easily accessible to students inintroductory religion courses, Seven Theories of Religion is an enlightening treatment of this controversial and fascinating subject.
language: English
title: Seven Theories of Religion
titlecomplete: Seven Theories of Religion
genres: Sociology, Academia, Psychology, History, Philosophy, Religion, Spirituality, Nonfiction
ratings_count: 252
publisher: Oxford University Press