INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF RELIGION

Professor Jones briefly mentions having been associated with his college radio station back in the day. Listeners to these 24 lectures on the study of religion might have guessed as much from Jones's delivery, which is smooth throughout and which gives a casual, intimate tone to his discussion of concepts that are both complex and challenging. Jones reviews theorists ranging from Marx and Comte to Mircea Eliade, and closes with some focused cases studies showing how their theories work in practice to explain the pervasiveness, appeal, and continuity of religion. Jones also explains various critiques of religion, and shows the limits of each in turn. G.T.B. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2008]