Religion in Context: Cults and Charisma / Edition 2

by I. M. Lewis

Overview

Religious power assumes strikingly different forms, often regarded as unique and unrelated. Religion in Context, however, argues that these apparently contradictory experiences are part of a web of mutually sustaining elements. I.M. Lewis analyzes phenomena such as witchcraft, cannibalism, and shamanism, revealing connections among them and with the world religions. This expanded and updated edition illuminates critical aspects of religious power, and will be of value to anyone concerned with the nature of religion in the modern world.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521562348
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	04/18/1996
Series:	Essays in Social Anthropology Series
Edition description:	2ND
Pages:	216
Product dimensions:	5.59(w) x 8.82(h) x 0.83(d)

Table of Contents

1. Anthropological fieldwork and the context of belief; 2. The spirit spider and the Pangolin; 3. Possession cults in context; 4. Witchcraft within and without; 5. The cannibal's cauldron; 6. The Shaman's career; 7. Expelling spirits, controlling women; 8. the power of the past: African 'survivals' in Islam; Notes; Bibliography; Index.

Editorial Reviews

'The book, complete with punctilious notes for each chapter and a well selected bibliography, may serve as a stimulus for the thinking anthropologist as well as a valuable choice for the attentive reader.' Man

From the Publisher