Interpretation of the Sacred: Religious Studies from Multiple Perspectives

Author: W.E. Paden [USA]
Publisher:
Publishing Time: Not Available
Features: What interpretive perspectives do people generally adopt when explaining religion? How do various observational frameworks construct vastly different objects of observation? This book delves into these questions in depth. Its theme is not that everything is "just" interpretation, but rather the interpretation of the various data produced by interpretations. The author argues that his task as a scholar is to foster centers of ideas that can help study global patterns of religion and contribute to reflections on the methodology of religious studies. It establishes a methodology for cross-cultural comparative religious studies and provides multiple pathways to understand the relationship between universal, cross-cultural continuity and cultural specificity in religion—this book represents the author's efforts to achieve this goal. It has been welcomed by many universities in the United States and around the world, becoming a required reading in related fields.
What interpretive perspectives do people generally adopt when explaining religion? How do various observational frameworks construct vastly different objects of observation? This book delves into these questions in depth. Its theme is not that everything is "just" interpretation, but rather the interpretation of the various data produced by interpretations. The author argues that his task as a scholar is to foster centers of ideas that can help study global patterns of religion and contribute to reflections on the methodology of religious studies. It establishes a methodology for cross-cultural comparative religious studies and provides multiple pathways to understand the relationship between universal, cross-cultural continuity and cultural specificity in religion—this book represents the author's efforts to achieve this goal. It has been welcomed by many universities in the United States and around the world, becoming a required reading in related fields.