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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Narrative

(3,057 words)

Author(s): Irene J.F. de Jong
Abstract: Narrative plays a crucial role in religion. Most religious texts are wholly or substantially in narrative form (myth, Bible) or embed narratives (prayers and hymns). And many epic narrative…

Nation / Nationalism

(3,473 words)

Author(s): Anthony Smith
Abstract: The concept of the nation may be defined as a territorial human community whose members possess shared myths and historical memories, a distinct public culture, and common laws and customs.…

Nativism

(1,362 words)

Author(s): Mark McNally
Abstract: While the concept of nativism emerged within the context of nineteenth-century American religious history, it has since developed into two distinct forms; one that is dominant in American h…

Naturalism

(2,221 words)

Author(s): Keith Prof. Yandell
Abstract: Metaphysical and epistemological naturalism are widely accepted in contemporary philosophy. This situtation is historically atypical and, in various ways, is strongly influenced by the succ…

Nature

(3,875 words)

Author(s): Bron Taylor | Joseph Witt
Abstract: Conceptions of nature and its relationship to religion have varied widely. For some early scholars of religion, nature provided the base set of experiences out of which humans developed the…

New Age

(2,320 words)

Author(s): Olav Hammer
Abstract: In contemporary Western societies, a vast range of religious or “spiritual” alternatives are on offer outside the theological mainstream. The term “New Age” is often affixed to pursuits suc…
Date: 2014-09-16

New Religious Movements

(2,492 words)

Author(s): James Lewis
Abstract: “New religious movements” (NRM) is an academic expression applied to a residual category of religions that do not fit comfortably into other classifications. The core groups examined under …

New Year

(8 words)

Abstract:   ⸙Calendar and New Year Bibliography