Vocabulary for the Study of Religion

Get access Subject: Religious Studies
Edited by: Robert A. Segal & Kocku von Stuckrad.

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The Vocabulary for the Study of Religion offers a unique overview of critical terms in the study of religion(s). This first dictionary in English covers a broad spectrum of theoretical topics used in the academic study of religion, including those from adjacent disciplines such as sociology, anthropology, historiography, theology, philology, literary studies, psychology, philosophy, cultural studies, and political sciences.

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Fairy tale

(3,683 words)

Author(s): Maria Kaliambou
Abstract: The term “fairy tale” is nearly interchangeable with the term “folktale.” The term “folktale” refers to orally-transmitted stories, whereas the term “fairy tale” refers to literary renditio…

Faith

(3,212 words)

Author(s): Theo Hobson
Abstract: Faith, in Christian tradition, is normally understood as an individual’s decision to trust God. Faith is particularly important in Protestantism, which often claims to be following Paul in …
Date: 2014-09-16

Fatalism / Fate

(2,117 words)

Author(s): Christoph Jedan
Abstract: The term “fatalism” denotes the theory that events, including human actions, are governed by fate. “Fate” derives from the Latin fatum and ultimately from the Latin verb fari (“to speak,” “tell,” “reveal”). Etymology t…

Festival

(2,496 words)

Author(s): Jack Santino
Abstract: A festival is a period of celebration, often in commemoration of a significant historical, religious, or social occasion. Festivals are often based on the calendar, celebrating saints’ days…

Fetish / Fetishism / Fetishization

(1,706 words)

Author(s): Jay Geller
Abstract: Perhaps no complex of terms in the history of discourse on religion has traveled so widely beyond disciplinary borders as “fetish”/“fetishism”/“fetishization.” This entry traces this comple…
Date: 2014-09-16