Understanding Religion: Theories and Methods for Studying Religiously Diverse Societies

A cutting-edge introduction to contemporary religious studies theory, connecting theory to data.
This innovative coursebook introduces students to interdisciplinary theoretical tools for understanding contemporary religiously diverse societies—both Western and non-Western. Using a case-study model, the text considers:

• A wide and diverse array of contemporary issues, questions, and critical approaches to the study of religion relevant to students and scholars
• A variety of theoretical approaches, including decolonial, feminist, hermeneutical, poststructuralist, and phenomenological analyses
• Current debates on whether the term "religion" is meaningful
• Many key issues about the study of religion, including the insider-outsider debate, material religion, and lived religion
• Plural and religiously diverse societies, including the theological ideas of traditions and the political and social questions that arise for those living alongside adherents of other religions