Review: Contested Concepts in the Study of Religion: A Critical Exploration, edited by George D. Chryssides and Amy R. Whitehead

Abstract

Book Review| November 01 2023 Review: Contested Concepts in the Study of Religion: A Critical Exploration, edited by George D. Chryssides and Amy R. Whitehead Contested Concepts in the Study of Religion: A Critical Exploration. Edited by George D. Chryssides and Amy R. Whitehead. Bloomsbury Academic, 2022. 183 pages. $90.00 hardcover; $29.95 softcover; ebook available. John Mauger John Mauger Claremont Graduate University Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Nova Religio (2023) 27 (2): 129–131. https://doi.org/10.1525/nr.2023.27.2.129 Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Peer Review Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Cite Icon Cite Search Site Citation John Mauger; Review: Contested Concepts in the Study of Religion: A Critical Exploration, edited by George D. Chryssides and Amy R. Whitehead. Nova Religio 1 November 2023; 27 (2): 129–131. doi: https://doi.org/10.1525/nr.2023.27.2.129 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentNova Religio Search Contested Concepts in the Study of Religion is an anthology of 25 short articles, by 23 scholars, on significant concepts in religious studies which can be contested among researchers or practitioners. Each essay is about 5 to 6 pages and covers a single topic. The editors say that the book should not be thought of as a dictionary or keywords book. Rather, its purpose is to critically explore various uses or misuses of religious concepts and terminology to shed light on those topics. These include general topics such as religion, belief, spirituality, world religion, and worship, having applicability across religions. Others include charisma, cult, magic, new age, prophecy, violence, and so on. All the terms selected are “problematic” for a variety of reasons, but typically this book focuses on how they are being used in scholarly and popular literature. The writers were asked to explore the origins of the concept,... You do not currently have access to this content.