Introduction to Religion

Scope, methods and key concepts in the comparative study of religions — phenomenology, sociology, anthropology and theology of religion — with an orientation to the world's major faith traditions.

Defining religion academically, distinguishing the substantive and functional approaches, and surveying the global religious landscape — the foundation for the comparative study of major religions.

How scholars compare religions — the principal methods, their assumptions, the recurring pitfalls, and the conventions of academic religious studies.