This collection of essays analyzes ‛tradition' as a category in the historical and comparative study of religion. The book questions the common assumption that tradition is simply the "passing down" or imitation of prior practices and discourses. It begins from the premise that many traditions are, at least in part, social fabrications, often deliberately serving particular ideological ends. Individual chapters examine a wide variety of historical periods and religions (Congolese, Buddhist, Christian, Confucian, Cree, Esoteric, Hawaiian, Hindu, Islamic, Jewish, New Religious...

People observe and transgress religious borders when they relate with faith and other faiths, when they shape communities, when they make decisions.A group of researchers have joined an inquiry into the forces of religious closure and openness in present-day Central and Eastern Europe.
The volume is a result of a research community constituted within the REVACERN project- Religion and Values in Central and Eastern Europe Research Network, supported by the 6th framework program of the European Union. Chapters are structured in three sections, focusing on individual experiences of...

The essays in this volume, written by specialists working in the field of tantric studies, attempt to trace processes of transformation and transfer that occurred in the history of tantra from around the seventh century and up to the present. The volume gathers contributions on South Asia, Tibet, China, Mongolia, Japan, North America, and Western Europe by scholars from various academic disciplines, who present ongoing research and encourage discussion on significant themes in the growing field of tantric studies. In addition to the extensive geographical and temporal range, the chapters...

This volume critically explores the state of religious and civic life and politics on the margins of state spaces by analysing the themes of borders, education, and religions in northern Europe. It suggests that the formation of religious and civic identity through education is not becoming less parochial and more culturally open. It also challenges the idea that secular liberal democracies are by definition uninvolved in matters of faith.

What is the significance of sustainable resource management for the functioning of Mediterranean island societies? How do human-environment relations reflect in a multi-ethnic religious landscape? This book poses these questions in the context of the Ottoman, British, and modern history of Cyprus. It explores the socio-ecological dimension of the Cyprus Conflict and considers the role of local environmental practices for historical coexistence and modern division. The book synthesizes theoretical approaches from the research on 'religion and ecology' with the anthropology of Cyprus, with...

Amongst books on religion and the internet, this collection is distinctive in addressing the interaction between social and mass media in the construction of contemporary religion and spirituality, and public understandings of them. Topics discussed include the implications of social media for religious authority, the implications of mediatisation for community relations, and the challenges of social media for traditional religious communities.