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The history of the concept of “religion” in Western tradition has intrigued scholars for years. This important collection of eighteen essays brings further light to the ongoing debate. Three of the invited participants, W.C. Smith, M. Despland and E. Feil, has each previously written impressive books treating this subject; the last two acknowledged the impact and continuing influence of Smith’s work, The Meaning and End of Religion.
An introduction and a recapitulation of Smith’s contribution as a scholar set the stage for a retrospective look at the published literature. Contributors then examine the transformation of words (the classical religio to the modern religion), particularities of religion in nineteenth-century France, Troeltsch’s concept of religion, the study of religion from an Asian point of view and the categorization of “World Religions.” The concluding essays elaborate contemporary anthropological, cross-disciplinary, semiological, deconstructive and psychoanalytical methodological approaches to the concept and study of “religion.”
Exploring critically different aspects of the concept and study of religion, these provocative essays typically reflect the methodological pluralism currently existing in the field of Religious Studies. Of interest to scholars and students alike, this collection also contains a complete bibliography of W.C. Smith’s publications.
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Editions SR / 13hh This page intentionally left blank EDITIONS SR Volume 13 Religion in History The Word, the Idea, the Reality La religion dans l'histoire Le mot, 1'idee, la realite edited by / sous la direction de Michel Despland and/et Gerard Vallee Published for the Canadian Corporation for Studies in Religion/Corporation Canadienne des Sciences Religieuses by Wilfrid Laurier University Press 1992 Canadian Cataloguing in Publication Data Donnees de catalogage avant publication (Canada) Main entry under title: Vedette principale au titre: Religion in history : the word, the idea, the reality = La Religion dans 1'histoire : le mot, 1'idee, la realite Religion in history : the word, the idea, the reality = La Religion dans 1'histoire : le mot, 1'idee, la realite (Editions SR ; 13) Text in English or French. Papers presented at a conference held in Oct. 1989 at McMaster University. Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 0-88920-211-7 (Editions SR ; 13) Textes en fransais ou en anglais. Textes presentes a une conference ayant pris place en octobre 1989 a McMaster University. Comprend des references bibliographiques. ISBN 0-88920-211-7 1. Religion - Philosophy - History Congresses. 2. Religion - History Congresses. I. Despland, Michel, 1936- . II. Vallee, Gerard, 1933- . III. Canadian Corporation for Studies in Religion. IV. Title: La Religion dans 1'histoire. V. Series. BL51.R45 1992 200'.1 C91-095676-6E 1. Religion - Philosophic - Histoire Congres. 2. Religion - Histoire Congres. I. Despland, Michel, 1936- . II. Vallee, Gerard, 1933- . III. Corporation canadienne des sciences religieuses. IV. Titre: La Religion dans 1'histoire. V. Collection. BL51.R45 1992 200'.1 C91-095676-6F © 1992 Canadian Corporation for Studies in Religion/ Corporation Canadienne des Sciences Religieuses Cover design by Michael Baldwin, MSIAD Printed in Canada Religion in History: The Word, the Idea, the Reality I La religion dans 1'histoire : le mot, 1'idee, la realite has been produced from a manuscript supplied in electronic form by the editors. All rights reserved. No part of this work covered by the copyrights hereon may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means—graphic, electronic or mechanical—without the prior written permission of the publis