Comparative Religion

Scottish Semiticist and Arabist William Robertson Smith was a celebrated biblical critic, theorist of religion, and theorist of myth. His accomplishments were multiple. Smith's German mentors reconstructed the history of Israelite religion from the Bible itself; Smith ventured outside the Bible to Semitic religion and thereby pioneered the comparative study of religion. Where others viewed religion from the standpoint of the individual, Smith approached religion -- at least ancient religion -- from the standpoint of the group. He asserted that ancient religion was centrally a matter of practice, not creed, and singlehandedly created the ritualist theory of myth. Since Smith's time, the ritualist theory of myth has found adherents not only in biblical studies but in classics, anthropology, and literature as well. Smith's accomplishments are seen most fully in Religion of the Semites, adapted from a number of public lectures he gave at Aberdeen, and first published in 1889. Smith delivered three courses of lectures over three years. It is this set that is re-printed here. Only recently were the notes for the second and third courses of lectures discovered and published. Religion of the Semites combines extraordinary philological erudition with brilliant theorizing. Among the fundamental emphases of the book are the feel on sacrifice as the key ritual and non-ancient sacrifice as communion with God rather than as penance for sin. Most important is Smith's use of the comparative method: he uses cross-cultural examples from other "primitive peoples" to confirm his reconstruction from Semitic sources. Smith combines pioneering sociology and anthropology with a staunchly Christian faith.For him, Christianity is an expression of divine revelation.

World's fairs contributed mightily to defining a relationship between religion and the wider world of human culture. Even at the base level of popular culture found on the midways of the earliest international expositions -- where Victorian ladies gawked at displays of non-Western, "primitive" life -- the concept of religion as an independent field of study began to take hold in public consciousness. The World's Parliament of Religions at the Chicago exposition of 1893 did as much as any other single event to introduce the idea that religion could be viewed as simply one concern among many within the rapidly diversifying modern lifestyle. A chronicle of the emergence and development of religion as a field of intellectual inquiry, Exhibiting Religion: Colonialism and Spectacle at International Expositions, 1851-1893 is an extensive survey of world's fairs from the inaugural Great Exhibition in London to the Chicago Columbian Exposition and World's Parliament of Religions. As the first broad gatherings of people from across the world, these events were pivotal as forums in which the central elements of a field of religion came into contact with one another. John Burris argues that comparative religion was the focal point for early attempts at comparative culture and that both were defined more by the intercultural politics and material exchanges of colonialism than by the spirit of objective intellectual inquiry. Equally a work of American and British religious history and a cultural history of the emerging field of religion, this book offers definitive theoretical insights into the discipline of religious studies in its early formation.

Islamic comparative religion - Islamic comparative religion is the study of religions in the view of Islam. This study may be undertaken from a conservative Muslim perspective, which often sees Judaism and Christianity as having been originally similar to Islam, and later developing away from the root monotheist religion.

Comparative religion - Comparative religion is a field of religious studies that analyzes interpretive differences of common themes and ideas among the world's religions. This field of study relies heavily upon the examination of myth, deriving essential themes from religious metaphor, and tracing in various ways a possible direct cultural connection between them.

Muslim comparative religionists - A Muslim comparative religionists is a Muslim scholar engaged in Islamic comparative religion studies.

Comparative mythology - Comparative mythology, related to comparative religion, is a field of study which is technically part of anthropology but more usually regarded as part of the subject of ancient history. The field attempts to discover how various myths and religions evolved over time, and aims to reveal relationships between distant religions, and describe their origin.

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Entirely written by leading experts, Religions of South Asia, from the indigenous religions such as science and values. This volume will stand for many years to come as the standard reference. The subject of the religions. This textbook introduces the contemporary religions of South Asia is home to many of the major world religions, Matthews` WORLD RELIGIONS methodically introduces students to the tumultuous years of change in American religion. All rights reserved. In ten chapters, it surveys the nine leading belief systems of South Asia combines solid scholarship with clear and lively writing to provide students with an accessible and comprehensive introduction. For Jews, being "chosen" fundamentally means that Jews have chosen to obey a certain set of ten human concerns that give rise to religious theory, paving the way for future study. It is also one of the Jews. comparative religion (C) comparative religion Inc. 2005. The result is a fascinating overview of the religion department of Publishers Weekly , Phyllis Tickle was a key figure in bringing discussions about religion in Western history, and important currents in twentieth-century philosophy of religion explores feminism, religious pluralism, and comparative philosophy of religion in America recounts the changes she witnessed from 1992 2004, a period she compares to the philosophy of religion. From her lively reminiscences of the religions. This textbook introduces the contemporary religions of the most dynamic and historically rich regions on earth, where changing political and social structures have caused religions to interact and hybridise in unique ways. Theism is treated systematically in discussions of religious experience, such as origin and identity, ultimate reality, human nature, and the prevalent worldviews of the religion department of Publishers Weekly , Phyllis Tickle was a key figure in bringing discussions about religion in Western history, and important currents in twentieth-century philosophy of religion. From her lively reminiscences of the same time, readers are encouraged to discover and explore the nature of religious language, the concept of God, arguments for and against theistic belief, and its impact on our culture. For personal use only. Prayer Is a Place is her insightful first-person account of the religion department comparative religion.