Anatomy of the Sacred: An Introduction to Religion (5th Edition) [Paperback]

James C. Livingston (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 9, 2004 | ISBN-10: 0131835645 | ISBN-13: 978-0131835641 | Edition: 5

For one-semester, undergraduate courses in Introduction to Religion and Comparative Religion, and more advanced courses dealing with issues in the theoretical study of religion. This comprehensive introduction to the nature and variety of religious phenomena, belief, and practice: 1) explores the issues in the study of religion, 2) examines the universal forms of religious experience, 3) offers a cross-cultural study of a broad range of classic types of religious belief and practice in terms of the seven basic concepts of a religious world view, and 4) surveys the challenges faced by religions today.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Three strengths (of the text are): 1) The global perspective, incorporating examples from many world religions and setting them side by side to consider in relation to one another without making any judgments; 2) The clear, comprehensive, beautifully written prose in the areas of summary and general commentary on religions and religious phenomena; 3) The introductory material with a fascinating and thorough coverage of various definitions of religions, perspectives on religion, and ways of studying religion. This material is extremely helpful." — Linda J. Tessier, Youngstown State University

"...It (Anatomy of the Sacred) is the best text in the field." — Steven W. Godby, Broward Community College

"It (Anatomy of the Sacred) covers some of the basic theories of religion and then illustrates these theories by delineating various themes in the global history (phenomenology) of religion. This is a very helpful way to construct an introductory textbook... I am impressed by Professor Livingston's erudition ...Livingston is respectful of all Religions." — Winston Davis, Washington and Lee University

From the Publisher

This book is a uniquely thorough introduction to the nature and variety of religious belief and practice. It is organized into four sections: Part I explores important issues such as the nature of religion, the reasons to study religion, and how one should go about that study. Illustrations of specific methods and disciplines are drawn from the work of eminent scholars in the field. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall; 5 edition (July 9, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0131835645
• ISBN-13: 978-0131835641
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #686,579 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Anatomy of the Sacred, February 16, 2011

By 

Bibb Underwood "navel gazer" (San Marcos, Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Anatomy of the Sacred: An Introduction to Religion (6th Edition) (Paperback)

Great book about some weird stuff. The sacred is usually the work of humans and this book helps us understand why we need to create sacred acts, places, dates, and behaviors. It helps us to understand the history of civilizations, religions, etc.

Amazon was precise in predicting the condition and delivery date of the product.

2 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Purchase, August 2, 2009

By 

Devon B "Dev" (MS) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Anatomy of the Sacred: An Introduction to Religion (6th Edition) (Paperback)

This book is a great buy for anyone curious about learning more about religion. I know it's a textbook, but I bought it to satisfy curiosity. I recommend it.

3 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good book, October 24, 2008

By 

Barbara Ellis "barbara ellis" (New York) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Anatomy of the Sacred an Introduction to Religion (Paperback)

This book is good if you want to know about defining religion. Great for religion students on any level