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Purity and Danger (Routledge Classics)

by Mary Douglas (Author)

4.5 129 ratings

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Is cleanliness next to godliness? What does such a concept really mean? Why does it recur as a universal theme across all societies? And what are the implications for the unclean?

In Purity and Danger Mary Douglas identifies the concern for purity as a key theme at the heart of every society. In lively and lucid prose she explains its relevance for every reader by revealing its wide-ranging impact on our attitudes to society, values, cosmology and knowledge. This book has been hugely influential in many areas of debate – from religion to social theory. With a specially commissioned preface by the author which assesses the continuing significance of the work, this Routledge Classics edition will ensure that Purity and Danger continues to challenge, question and inspire for many years to come.

ISBN-10

0415289955
ISBN-13

978-0415289955
Publication date

September 12, 2002
Language

English
Dimensions

5.08 x 0.62 x 7.8 inches
Print length

272 pages
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Professor Douglas writes gracefully, lucidly and polemically. She continually makes points which illuminate matters in the philosophy of religion and the philosophy of science and help to show the rest of us just why and how anthropology has become a fundamentally intellectual discipline." - New Society

"Professor Douglas' book sparkles with intellectual life and is characterised by a concern to understand. Right or wrong, sound or idiosyncratic, it presents a rare and exciting spectacle of a mind at work." - Times Literary Supplement

About the Author

Mary Douglas

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Routledge (September 12, 2002)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 272 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0415289955
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0415289955
Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 1230L
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 10.6 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.08 x 0.62 x 7.8 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #134,703 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #78 in Customs & Traditions Social Sciences
- #89 in General Anthropology
- #336 in Cultural Anthropology (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.5 129 ratings

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4.5 out of 5

129 global ratings

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Amazon Customer

Worth buying

Reviewed in the United States on February 1, 2024

Verified Purchase

Insightful on religious purity, for those interested in the subject

Reviewed in the United States on June 8, 2023

Verified Purchase

Book is as-good-as-new

Helpful

grasmere

Dense, extremely well researched, biased, heady stuff

Reviewed in the United States on September 11, 2023

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If you like philosophy and anthropology, it's a classic for a reason. Author writes so well but be prepared to really have to think, as you read her book. I annotated a ton as I read, questions, arrows with connections.

Reviewed in the United States on April 1, 2013

Verified Purchase

I chose this book because I had questions regarding some of our religious traditions and the history behind them. I found this book to very helpful for my needs. I gained the insight that resolved my questions and moved me to seek additional answers to questions raised. This book lends itself to removing the vale of mystery surrounding many of practices both religiously and personally. Is this book for everybody? I think not. If you do read it I hope you will enjoy it.

5 people found this helpful

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Cerridwen

New book fast delivery

Reviewed in the United States on February 29, 2020

Verified Purchase

Book is clean new copy, feels good in your hand, arrived in a day, I can read it this weekend.

One person found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

classic work

Reviewed in the United States on January 28, 2008

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This is one of the most famous and still relevant works about what are behind any given cultures concepts on cleanliness and impurity. Written in an accesible language so even interested laypersons can benefit from Mary Douglas' scholarly research. If you are intersted in Biblical criticism and/or anthropology - this book belongs in your bookshelf. It is simply a classic.

12 people found this helpful

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Avolaster

it is really good and informative too

Reviewed in the United States on February 25, 2015

Verified Purchase

She has a difficult reading style to get into, but once you've been reading it for a while, it is really good and informative too.

2 people found this helpful

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Briana la Fea

Classic Anthropology

Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2008

This book is considered a classic and laid groundwork for future anthropological work in religion and belief. Though some of Douglas' positions have been criticized or disputed in later years, this book is important at least in providing a snapshot of anthropology in her time and in understanding some of the fundamentals which underscore more modern research.

Having said that, it can be difficult to read at times, but is immensely interesting and at the least will open your eyes to new ways of considering the world around you. Things which seem natural to us might be determined by hidden cultural constructions which define who we are. The book provides cases from cultures around the world- West Africa, South America, India, Judea- whose diverse practices help underscore certain universal truths about what it means to be human.

This book is a good introduction to anthropological religion research, and is insightful on topics of the taboo and impure. A must read for those with interests in these areas.

2 people found this helpful

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Valeria GE

Fue un regalo

Reviewed in Mexico on May 24, 2023

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Fue un regalo

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Johnny P

Oddly enough, this book was recommended to me over drinks at a party.

Reviewed in Canada on December 12, 2019

Verified Purchase

This is a really helpful book . . . one that helped me make sense of the weird categories we put things into (and why we are so uncomfortable with people and things that do not fit neatly into our Apollonian boxes).