商品簡介
Though scholarly, the entries of this reference are remarkable for the freshness of their writing, making this an engaging resource for students and the general reader, who are sure to find themselves reading beyond the topic they initially sought. The entry topics range from very broad histories--25 pages on Africa, for example--to shorter entries on smaller topics, such as "machine" and "mandala." The entry topics are generally thematic; specific religions are discussed within the context of entries on a continent or a type of practice or belief. Critical issues, biographies, eras, and basic religious practices are among the themes used in selecting the entry topics. A historical perspective dominates and many of the larger entries include elaborate time charts which contain summaries of the religious scene for each time period. Many b&w and color photos of excellent quality have been included, each accompanied by a lengthy caption describing the scene and the larger religious context represented. All of the world's religions are featured judiciously, as are their links beyond national borders. Von Stuckrad teaches religious studies at the U. of Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The set was originally published in 1999 in German. This is the paperback edition of the original cloth edition of 2006. Annotation c2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
作者簡介
Kocku von Stuckrad (1966) is Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands. He is co-editor of theNumen Book Series (Brill) as well as the Religion and Society book series (Walter de Gruyter). His publications include an introduction to the study of religion (2003, with H.G. Kippenberg) and, most recently,Western Esotericism: A Brief History of Secret Knowledge (2005). Currently, he is working on methodological issues in the study of religion and the role of Western esotericism in early modern discourse.The editors of the original German version areChristoph Auffarth, Jutta Bernard, and Hubert Mohr
