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5.0 out of 5 stars
An Absolute Must-Have, November 7, 2007
This review is from: The Blackwell Companion to the Study of Religion (Wiley-Blackwell Companions to Religion) (Hardcover)
Quite simply, The Blackwell Companion to the Study of Religion is a sort of "non-stop shop" introduction to the contemporary terrain of religious studies. The diversity, as well as the breadth of study, found throughout this text allow for a versatility not easily surpassed. Whether one is a teacher, a student, or a motivated layperson, this book is sure to meet and exceed the expectations of all its readers.
Teachers will find that Robert Segal has compiled a collection of papers that are diverse and well-written. So much so, that this work is fit to be used in either an undergraduate or a graduate course in the theory and method of religious studies. Whether as a primary text in a survey-oriented course, or as a guide in a seminar-style class, the authors provide ample material to spur reflection and to guide the reader through contemporary religious studies.
Students will find a comprehensive survey of the most up-to-date research by top scholars in the study of religion. Not only has the editor compiled many articles that can provide a rich introduction to each sub-discipline, but has included a fantastic bibliography [supplied by each contributor] that will aid the curious reader in further study.
"Motivated Laypeople" will find everything they will need to begin their inquiry into the academic study of religion. This text provides the topical and methodological framework for a journey through the contemporary conduct of religious study. With the bibliographical information alone, the layperson is equipped to gain significant insight into the study of religion.
Though many readers of this text will be drawn to a particular topic, I would encourage the reader to take in all that the authors have to offer. Though the book is long, the content is worth the effort and time. Of special note are the papers by Thomas Ryba, Charles Taliaferro, Ian Markham, and [the editor himself] Robert Segal. Below, I have attempted a brief description of a few of the more interesting papers.
First, in Chapter Five, Thomas Ryba continues his study of the relevance and application of phenomenology to the study of religion, first explored in his Essence of Phenomenology. Ryba surveys the origin, history, and application of phenomenology as generally understood--or rather, misunderstood. However, he begins where many do not--with the relevant pre-Husserlian types of phenomenology. Covering Lambert, Kant, Hegel, Peirce, all the way through to Husserl, Ryba does a magnificent job of making important distinctions that allow the reader to follow the discussion on an otherwise difficult topic.
Chapter Six contains maybe the most relevant discussion of religion as it relates to "analytic" philosophy. Given the emphasis on analytic philosophy in the English-speaking world, many teachers and students of philosophy in the United States and the United Kingdom will be especially interested in this paper by Charles Taliaferro. He provides a wonderful breakdown of the contemporary issues within the field of philosophy of religion and philosophical theology. Whether it be Wittgensteinian fideism, the cosmological argument(s), the "problem of evil," or religious pluralism, Taliaferro provides an excellent analysis of the many contemporary philosophical debates related to religion. Worthy of special mention, he does offer, however brief, some discussion of the often neglected positions and relevance of the issues for "eastern" philosophy.
In Chapter Nine, Ian Markham, dealing with "theology" proper, makes the very good point that to speak of just theology, as an overarching discipline, is somewhat imprecise. We typically do not--or rather, should not--speak of theology, dissociated from a particular tradition. One usually studies "Christian" theology, "Jewish" theology, "Muslim" theology, "Hindu" theology, or, in some lose sense, "Buddhist" theology, but one does not typically grant any real content to an all-encompassing theology.
In order to make appropriate distinctions, he asks several interesting questions. How have we used the word "theology"?--How does it often function linguistically? What are our sources for "doing"--or building--a theology (e.g. texts, traditions, experience, etc.)? And how are we to understand the relationship between science and religion? The implications drawn from the answers to each of these questions--within a particular tradition--will help supply some of the content to theology. This discussion, as well as other brief discussions covering the many sub-disciplines within theology (e.g. feminism, liberation, post-liberalism, etc.), makes this chapter a wonderful guide.
In Part II of the Companion to the Study of Religion, Segal has compiled several pieces covering a wide range of material from "Heaven and Hell" to "Fundamentalism" to "Secularization." Clearly, given our current socio-political situation, one recognizes the high degree of relevance of these topics.
In Chapter Nineteen, Robert Segal summarizes his work on the topic of Myth--for further reading, see Segal's Myth: A Very Short Introduction. Simply, I found this paper to be highly engaging, but most importantly, extremely informative and relevant. With great precision and brevity, Segal is able to pack a great deal of data into a short essay. Beginning with a description of how myth has typically been understood through the centuries, he does a terrific job of unpacking the diverse paths taken by contemporary scholars in interpreting/explaining the meaning and significance [if any] for modern man. Drawing on the insights of Tylor, Frazer, Freud, Jung, Levi-Strauss, and others, Segal offers a discussion that both informs and confronts the reader. By some thinkers the reader is directed to see that myths are nothing else but make-believe. Others, however, point to poetry, novels, and even science as a form of modern mythology. In all cases, Segal makes it interesting while wetting the appetite for further study.
In a nut-shell, this text should be compulsory reading for both teachers and students of religion. The compilation of papers themselves, as well as the content within each, provides the book's owner with a library and catalogue of some of the most current and relevant scholarship being done in the twenty-first century. Even at its significant price tag, this book is a must have for anyone interested in contemporary religious studies.
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