Despite the world-wide association of music and dance with religion, this is the first full-length study of the subject from a global perspective. The work consists of 3,816 references divided among 37 chapters. It covers tribal, regional, and global religions and such subjects as shamanism, liturgical dance, healing, and the relationship of music, mathematics, and mysticism. The referenced materials display such diverse approaches as analysis of music and dance, description of context, direct experience, observation, and speculation. The references address topics from such disciplines as sociology, anthropology, history, linguistics, musicology, ethnomusicology, theology, medicine, semiotics, and computer technology. Chapter 1 consists of general references to religious music and dance. The remaining 36 chapters are organized according to major geographical areas. Most chapters begin with general reference works and bibliographies, then continue with topics specific to the region or religion. This book will be of use to anyone with an interest in music, dance, religion, or culture.

The relationship between religion and dance is as old as humankind. Contemporary methods for studying this relationship date back a century. The difference between these two time frames is significant: scholars are still developing theories and methods capable of illuminating this vast history that take account of their limited place within it. A History of Theory and Method in the Study of Religion and Dance takes on a primary challenge of doing so: overcoming a conceptual dichotomy between “religion” and “dance” forged in the colonial era that justified western Christian hostility towards dance traditions across six continents over six centuries. Beginning with its enlightenment roots, LaMothe narrates a selective history of this dichotomy, revealing its ongoing work in separating dance studies from religious studies. Turning to the Bushmen of the African Kalahari, LaMothe introduces an ecokinetic approach that provides scholars with conceptual resources for mapping the generative interdependence of phenomena that appear as “dance” and/or “religion.”

Contains nearly 600 brief entries on the world's religious traditions.

Addressing religion and feminism on a global scale, this unprecedented book contains a nuanced and fine-tuned treatment of seven of the world's religions from a feminist perspective by leading women scholars. The fact that these authors share a dual but undivided commitment both to themselves as women and to their traditions as adherents imparts to their voices a prophetic quality, and if Mahatma Gandhi is to be believed, even scriptural value.

"Since its inception, dance has maintained a tenuous position within Christianity. Yet, despite - or perhaps because of - its contested status, dance persists inside and outside organized religious communities. Using original, multi-site, qualitative studies of four dance companies, this book examines the movements dancing Christians make to transform what they perceive as secular professional dance into religious practices in order to actualize individual and communal religious identities. Dancing to transform is the first book-length analysis that situates developments in contemporary Christian dance in relation to the histories of American modern dance and American Christianity"--Page 4 of cover.

Understanding World Religions introduces students to major worldviews—including Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, Jewish, Christian, Native American, and Marxist—through the lens of justice and peace. The second edition has been updated and revised throughout. After an introduction to key themes in studying world religion, chapters help students explore major traditions today. Each chapter takes a similar approach, examining several dimensions of each tradition—experiential and emotional, social and institutional, narrative or mythic, doctrinal and philosophical, practical and ritual, and ethical and legal. Chapters feature profiles of major peacemakers or groups to bring the traditions to life. Profiles range from Gandhi and Martin Luther King to Thich Nhat Hanh and Dorothy Day. Further chapters explore liberation theologies, active nonviolence, and just war theory. The second edition features a broader framework than the first edition and includes new material on non-religious ethical norms, Islamophobia, colonial evangelization, religion in China, and an updated examination of the Israel-Palestine conflict. Understanding World Religions remains a powerful introduction to major worldviews with an emphasis on practical connections to peace and justice.

From the time Buddhism entered the mythical land of the snows, Tibetans have expressed their spiritual devotion and celebrated their culture with dance. This book--lavishly illustrated with color and rare historic photographs depicting the dances, costumes, and masks--is the first to explore the significance and symbolism of the sacred and secular ritual dances of Tibetan Buddhism.