Introducing Anthropology of Religion: Culture to the Ultimate

371 Pages·2008·1.87 MB·English

by  Jack David Eller

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Introducing Anthropology of Religion: Culture to the Ultimateis the ideal starting point for
students beginning their studies of the anthropological study of religion.
Jack David Eller, an experienced college teacher, introduces students to the key
areas of the field and shows how to apply an anthropological approach to the study
of contemporary world religions. This lively and readable survey covers all the
traditional topics of anthropology of religion, including definitions and theories,
beliefs, symbols and language, and ritual and myth, and combines analytic and
conceptual discussion with up-to-date ethnography and theory.
Using copious examples from religions from around the world—both familiar and
unfamiliar—and two mini-case studies in each chapter, Eller also explores classic
and contemporary anthropological contributions to important but often overlooked
issues such as violence and fundamentalism, morality, secularization, religion
in America, and new religious movements. Introducing Anthropology of Religion
demonstrates that anthropology is both relevant and essential for understanding the
world we inhabit today.
Jack David Ellerteaches anthropology at the Metropolitan State College of Denver.
His previous publications include Violence and Culture: An Interdisciplinary and Cross-
Cultural Approach(2005) and From Culture to Ethnicity to Conflict: An Anthropological
Perspective on International Ethnic Conflict(1999).

Introducing Anthropology
of Religion
Culture to the Ultimate
Jack David Eller
First published 2007
by Routledge
270 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016
Simultaneously published in the UK
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2007.
“To purchase your own copy of this or any of Taylor & Francis or Routledge’s
collection of thousands of eBooks please go to www.eBookstore.tandf.co.uk.”
© 2007 Jack David Eller
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or
reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic,
mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter
invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any
information storage or retrieval system, without permission in
writing from the publishers.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
A catalog record for this book has been requested
ISBN 0-203-94624-3 Master e-book ISBN
ISBN10: 0–415–40895–4 (hbk)
ISBN10: 0–415–40896–2 (pbk)
ISBN10: 0–203–94624–3 (ebk)
ISBN13: 978–0–415–40895–0 (hbk)
ISBN13: 978–0–415–40896–7 (pbk)
ISBN13: 978–0–203–94624–4 (ebk)
To Robert Hefner, who showed me how
to be an anthropologist

1
2
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4
Contents
5
6
7
8
9
0
11
12
13 List of case studies xi
14 Preface xiii
15 Acknowledgments xv
16
17
1 Studying Religion Anthropologically: Definitions and Theories 1
18
Studying religion “anthropologically” 2
19
Studying “religion” anthropologically 7
20
“Studying” religion anthropologically 12
21
Conclusion 28
22
23
2 Religious Entities and Concepts 29
24
The anthropology of belief 30
25
Religious entities: beings and forces 34
26
Religious conceptions: the universe and human existence 44
27
Conclusion 52
28
29
3 Religious Symbols and Specialists 54
30
The anthropology of symbolism 55
31
A world of religious “symbols” 65
32
Religious specialists 71
33
Conclusion 81
34
35
4 Religious Language 82
36
Myth as religious language 83
37
Types and themes of myth 86
38
The structural study of myth 91
39
Myth as oral literature 93
40
Religious language as performance 98
41
The power of words 104
42
Conclusion 107
43
44
viii Contents
5 Religious Behavior 109
The anthropology of ritual and ritualization 110
The diversity of religious ritual 116
Rites of passage: the structure of ritual 126
Ritual fields, ritual performances, and “social theater” 128
Conclusion 132
6 Religion, Morality, and Social Order 134
The anthropology of morality 135
The efficacy of religion: formation and transformation 141
Religion and the social order 147
Conclusion 159
7 Religious Change and New Religious Movements 160
The anthropology of religious change 161
Religion and revitalization: using religion to bring society back to life 172
Revitalization movements, traditional and modern 182
Conclusion 186
8 World Religions 188
The anthropology of the “great transformation” 189
“Conversion” to world religions 193
Conversion and the colonization of everyday life 198
World religions in the religious field 200
The diversity within world religions 204
Conclusion 216
9 Religious Violence 218
The anthropology of violence 219
Religion as explanation and justification for violence 225
The diversity of religious violence 229
Conclusion 246
10 Secularism and Irreligion 247
The anthropology of secularism 248
Western secularism, ancient and modern 254
Secularism and secularization in non-Western societies 263
The contemporary “secular movement” in the USA 269
Conclusion 273
11 Religious Fundamentalism 275
The anthropology of fundamentalism 276
Christian fundamentalisms 283
Fundamentalisms in cross-cultural perspective 291
Conclusion 301
Contents ix
12 Religion in the USA 302
Religion, American style 303
The evolution of religion in America 310
Religion and the courts 319
Religion in the public square 322
Conclusion 330
Bibliography 331
Index 346