A Reader in the Anthropology of Religion is a collection of some of the most significant classic and contemporary writings in the field. Updated in its second edition, this volume examines numerous aspects of religion in a diversity of cultures and expands upon the idea of what we mean by ‘religion', linking it to some of the broader questions of culture and politics. * Collects classic and contemporary articles from the major thinkers in both North American and British anthropology* Emphasizes the ongoing conversation among anthropologists with respect to central questions of religious behavior* Presents comprehensive coverage of theory and religious practice, through time and ethnographic regions, integrated by editorial commentary* Includes additional classic pieces by Pouillon, Burridge, and Meyerhoff, as well as more contemporary work by Harding, De Boeck, and Palmie* Includes indexed bibliography arranged according to both ethnographic region and religious topics and practices

Michael Lambek is Professor of Anthropology at the University of Toronto and author of Knowledge and Practice in Mayotte (1993) and Human Spirits (1981), and co-editor of Tense Past: Cultural Essays in Trauma and Memory (with Paul Antze 1996).