Religion in 50 Words

Aaron W. Hughes is the Philip S. Bernstein Professor in the Department of Religion and Classics at the University of Rochester, USA. Russell T. McCutcheon is University Research Professor and Chair of the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Alabama, USA.

"Covering an essential set of concepts, Religion in 50 Words offers vital grounding for the study of religion—helping readers to understand what we often overlook: how we secure and what we mean by the words we use when studying religion. They name and tackle the fundamental question: what do words have to do with the study of religion? I highly recommend this book." Anthony B. Pinn, Rice University, USA"This substantive and singular guide describes and analyzes the embedded and extended meanings of the categories and terms used in the contemporary study of religion. Written in an informative rather than normative tone, it will help students of religion clarify our thinking and say what we mean." William Scott Green, University of Miami, USA"A scholar is only as good as her tools, and with this volume Hughes and McCutcheon have provided scholars of religion with a metaphorical whetstone on which they can sharpen their most important tools: their concepts. In each of these fifty chapters, Hughes and McCutcheon outline the contours of the fault lines in the field, show how different scholarly approaches utilize broadly shared concepts but often for competing purposes, and evaluate the relative merits of rival approaches. This volume will be of interest to both seasoned scholars and students new to the field looking for a survey of our field’s contested vocabulary." Craig Martin, St. Thomas Aquinas College, USA"Religion in 50 Words is not just another collection of useful (or useless) words for studying religion. It is a masterful introduction to the critical use of terms in the academic study of religion. Written by two of the most qualified scholars to undertake such an endeavour, this volume opens up the interdisciplinary 'field' that is the study of religion." Kocku von Stuckrad, University of Groningen, The Netherlands

• Introduction: A User’s Guide; 1. Affect; 2. Authenticity; 3. Authority; 4. Belief; 5. Canon; 6. Classification; 7. Cognition; 8. Comparison; 9. Critical; 10. Culture; 11. Definition; 12. Description; 13. Diaspora; 14. Environment; 15. Essence; 16. Experience; 17. Explanation; 18. Faith; 19. Function; 20. Gender; 21. History; 22. Identity; 23. Ideology; 24. Indigeneity; 25. Interpretation; 26. Law; 27. Lived Religion; 28. Material Religion; 29. Method; 30. Methodological Agnosticism; 31. Origin; 32. Orthodoxy; 33. Phenomenology; 34. Pluralism; 35. Politics; 36. Power; 37. Practice; 38. Primitive; 39. Race; 40. Redescription; 41. Religion; 42. Religious Literacy; 43. Sacred/Profane; 44. Secular; 45. Society; 46. Status; 47. Text; 48. Theory; 49. World Religions; 50. Worldview; Appendix: A Word on Etymologies; Index