Vernacular religion is religion as people experience, understand, and practice it. It shapes everyday culture and disrupts the traditional boundaries between 'official' and 'folk' religion. The book analyses vernacular religion in a range of Christian denominations as well as in indigenous and New Age religion from the nineteenth century to today. How these differing expressions of belief are shaped by their individual, communal and national contexts is also explored. What is revealed is the consistency of genres, the persistence of certain key issues, and how globalization in all its cultural and technological forms is shaping contemporary faith practice. The book will be valuable to students of ethnology, folklore, religious studies, and anthropology.

New forms of church that gather and network with people who typically have never been to church.

The anthology Religions of the World: Expressions of Faith and Pathways to the Divine explores the twelve most common expressions of religious faith in our world today, and introduces students to religions which may be unknown to them. It shows them how the customs of differing faith traditions relate to familiar aspects of American culture and religious expression. By examining vital questions about the influence of religion on the world, how religion is expressed, and issues of pluralism versus exclusivity, the book helps students understand the importance of studying religion in all its complex and diverse forms. In addition to Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and Buddhism, the book discusses Confucianism, Jainism, Shintoism, Zoroastrianism, Hinduism, and Sikhism. The indigenous religions of Africa and North America are also addressed. Through sensitive, well-researched reading selections students will see how these various religions deal with rites of passage, symbolism, taboos, divination, sacrifice, ancestor veneration, magic, and other expressions of spirituality and the divine. This new edition features several new articles, including a background of Daoism, and updated review questions. Religions of the World is ideal for courses on comparative or world religion. F.C. La Spina earned his master of theological studies degree from Emory University. In addition to 35 years of experience in church management, he has taught collegiate-level courses for 30 years. Currently, he is an adjunct professor at James Madison University, where his course offerings include classes on world religions and scripture.

Religion in 50 Words: A Critical Vocabulary is the first of a two-volume work that seeks to transform the study of religion by offering a radically critical perspective. It does so by providing a succinct and critical examination of the key words used in the modern study of religion. Arranged alphabetically, the book explores the historic roots, varied uses, and current significance and utility of the technical terms used within the current field of religious studies. These are the terms that both students and scholars routinely deploy to think about, describe, and analyze data—sometimes without realizing that they are themselves technical tools in need of attention. Among the topics covered: Belief Critical Culture Definition Environment Gender Ideology Lived religion Material religion Orthodoxy Politics Race Sacred/profane Secular Theory This book submits all of its terms to a critical interrogation and subsequent re-description, thereby allowing a collective reframing of the field. This volume is an indispensable resource for students and academics working in religious studies.