Encyclopedia of Religion, 15 Volume Set [Hardcover]

Lindsay Jones (Editor)

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*Starred Review* The Encyclopedia of Religion, first published in 1987, sought "to introduce educated, nonspecialist readers to important ideas, practices, and persons in the religious experience of humankind from the Paleolithic past to our day." It had been some 65 years since the last volume of a similar effort, the Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics (New York: Scribner, 1911-22), was published, prompting two reviewers to prophesy that it was "extremely unlikely another encyclopedia of religion on this scale [would] appear in English for at least another generation." Just about a generation has passed, and the second edition of the Encyclopedia of Religion has appeared, right on schedule.

The second edition contains "well over five hundred new topics, nearly one thousand completely new articles, and 1.5 million more words than the original." In his preface, the editor provides an excellent service to readers by clearly distinguishing the differences in content between the two editions. All 2,750 entries from the first edition were examined for revision, 1,800 of them remaining essentially unchanged. While entries in both editions are signed, the name of the scholar is followed by the date 1987 in the new edition, thereby indicating the article is reprinted with few or no changes. When entries were updated for the second edition, either by the original author or by another scholar, a single name will be followed by two dates (1987 and 2005) or two names will be listed, each followed by one of the two years. The editors considered some articles from the first edition worthy of inclusion in the second but no longer state-of-the-art (e.g., Mysticism, Rites of passage, Sexuality). Here, the entry is reprinted with the title qualified by "First Edition" and is then followed by a completely new article with the same title but the qualifier "Further Considerations." Most, if not all, entries conclude with supplemental bibliographies, often updated even if the entry itself was not. When they have been updated, the new citations follow the original bibliography under the heading "New Sources."

Much is completely new to the second edition, most notably in the expansion of composite entries. Employed in the first edition, these composite entries consist of related sets of articles. Beginning with a general overview, articles that explore, for example, tradition-specific aspects of the Afterlife or geographical differences in Buddhism follow. Significant new composite entries have been added for Ecology and religion and Gender and religion, along with a significantly expanded composite entry for Law and religion. New religious movements is another area with enhanced coverage, including an expanded composite entry and new individual entries such as Branch Davidians; Hubbard, L. Ron; UFO religions; and Wicca. The important relationship between religion and science is explored in new entries for Bioethics and Genetics and religion, as well as a thoroughly revised entry for Science and religion. Each volume now contains a "visual essay"-basically plates of color illustrations with accompanying text on such topics as "Sacred Time" or "Efficacious Images"-that seeks "to demonstrate how pervasively visual culture permeates religion." Sadly, more than 50 new biographical entries have been added for scholars of religion who have passed away since the first edition was published. Included is the great Islamicist Annemarie Schimmel, one of the editors of the first edition of the Encyclopedia of Religion and this reviewer's teacher. Requiescat in pace.

Distinguishing content between the two editions is less clear when entries have been omitted or incorporated into another. A cursory review of one volume of the first edition produced a couple of examples. According to the excellent index, Muro Kyuso, a Japanese scholar of neo-Confucianism in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, is nowhere to be found in the second edition. The entry for Nawrz, the Persian New Year, is now given brief mention in the article on Islamic religious year. Arguably, both are minor subjects in the greater scheme of the encyclopedia as a whole, but their omission does suggest that consideration be given to keeping both editions handy.

Volume 15 contains, in addition to the index, a "Synoptic Outline of Contents" which sorts entry headings under topics related to either individual religions and religious traditions or religious studies. Also in this volume is an appendix with 21 entries that could not be included in the main A-Z portion of the encyclopedia "due to time constraints."

Academic specialists may uncover some factual errors in this second edition and may well quibble with the presentation of material by their colleagues. But as reviewers of the first edition remarked-an assessment equally true today-the Encyclopedia of Religion "will indeed provide a generation of users with valuable summaries and analyses of the best of current scholarship in the field of religion." If the encyclopedia has any major flaw, it is the choice of color for the binding. While the gold lettering against the white binding is handsome indeed, the volumes will soon be soiled should the set receive anything close to the use it so richly deserves. Highly recommended for academic and large public libraries Christopher McConnell
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Hardcover: 11000 pages
• Publisher: Macmillan Reference USA; 2 edition (December 17, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 002865739X
• ISBN-13: 978-0028657394
• ASIN: 0028657330
• Product Dimensions: 21.1 x 18.4 x 13.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 80.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,343,223 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the only option, August 12, 2006

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Wyote (Seoul) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Encyclopedia of Religion, 15 Volume Set (Hardcover)

Here is a monument to the current state of the academic study of religion. Thousands of pages of entries, most of them of the highest quality; yet a few slips remain. Typos abound, but I've found none confusing so far.

The articles maintain a very high standard. I've read a few dozen; the worst complaint I can make so far is that I feel the 2005 "further considerations" by Michael Winkelman regarding "Shamanism" ought to describe (even if only to refute) criticisms of Eliade. The bibliography of that subject does not even mention Ronald Hutton's excellent 2001 book "Shamans."

Henry Le Roy Finch's article (from 1987) on "Epistemology" includes the interesting observation, "In attempting to escape the Scylla of fideism, in which knowledge ultimately has no place at all in religion, Western religions have always been in danger of running afoul of the Charybdis of gnosticism, in which there is no need or room for faith. And behind these doctrines lurk the still greater dangers of atheism and pantheism, as well as gnostic dualism" (p. 2819). I suspect gnostics, atheists and pantheists would like Finch fo find a better way to describe them. Dangerous? Based on the rest of the article, I am pretty sure Finch is only trying to describe a traditional Christian point of view. He only accidently sounds prescriptive, I think.

But so far those are my only fair complaints, and I am a picky reader in this area.

Obviously, no matter what I think, if you want the best scholarly reference on religion, this is it. It's no desk reference, but it's simply the best. I am very happy to have it in my home library, as I refer to it constantly. Curious about feminist theology? Fenelon? Ferghus Mac Roich? Festivals? Festschriften? Fetishism? Feurbach? Me too, sometimes.

On the other hand, for the cost, you might strongly consider some other options. Britannica's Encyclopedia of World Religions (1593392664) is the highest-quality single volume reference I know: the scholarship as good or better than the ER, and the illustrations more abundant. I'm also very pleased with a volume titled "Religions of the Ancient World," (0674015177)--although the title misleads because only Mediterranean and Near Eastern ancient traditions.

You might also consider volumes the series on World Spirituality (ie 082451131X); though they are often hard to find, they are generally more accessible and opinionated than the ER.

I also recommend the Princeton Readings in Religion series (ie 0691044414).