The bibliography is here limited to Western intellectual traditions, and, within the section on theology, largely, but not exclusively, to Christianity. A Critical Assessment and Annotated Bibliography gathers over 1,200 entries from scholarly literature in the fields of history, psychology, sociology, anthropology, theology, and philosophy. This unique bibliography demonstrates the coherence of religion and emotion studies as an area of research while noting the breadth of that area and the ways in which researchers have employed various methods and disciplinary approaches. An extensive introductory essay identifies the leading themes in the scholarship and demonstrates both the complexity of the field and the ways in which work from several disciplinary perspectives has overlapped. Featuring outstanding annotations and a detailed overview of the field, the bibliography demonstrates the breadth and vitality of scholarly research in this area.
Many works listed in the bibliography blend disciplinary perspectives.
Certain historical studies intersect with literary studies or philosophy. Scholarship located under a social science heading often draws upon several different fields in exploring religion and emotion, integrating, for example, sociological, psychological, and historical perspectives. Theological and philosophical works have profoundly influenced each other as well as contributed to the development of research in other areas. The authors have organized the bibliography essentially on disciplinary ground, but the borders marking that ground are porous and at times indefinite. Readers accordingly might discover useful annotations for works in sections other than the one or two that are of primary interest to them.