Brill Dictionary of Religion, The (4 Volumes) / December 23, 2005
Requires Accordance 11.2 or above.
The new and impressively comprehensive Brill Dictionary of Religion addresses religion as an element of daily life and public discourse. Richly illustrated and with more than 500 entries, the dictionary is a multi-media reference source on the many and various forms of religious commitment. It is unusual in that it not only addresses the different theologies and doctrinal declarations of the official institutionalized religions but it also gives equal weight and consideration to a multiplicity of other religious phenomena.
People perceive and express religious experiences in many different ways: through dance, sensuality, in relations between sexes and in compassion at death. Religions help determine how people form and perceive their identity as part of a social group. The diverse effects of religions can also be perceived in the environment, society and the public sphere. The Brill Dictionary of Religion helps map out and define the networks and connections created by various religions in contemporary societies, and provides models for understanding these complex phenomena.
Product Details
- Editors: Kocku von Stuckrad
- Publisher: Koninklijke Brill NV
- Publish Date: December 23, 2005
- ISBN: 978-90-04-12433-2
- # of Pages: 2154
- Level: Academic, Pastor, Semi-technical, Student, Teacher
- Language: English
- Categories: Dictionaries
- Publisher Categories: Religion & Spirituality
- Min Acc Version: 11.2
(verified owner) Juho Unix Mikael Stromsürd Cyklist
I like both the breadth and the depth. That’s essential nowadays for me, in order to pay anything over $90 for whatever kind of reference work – generally and VERY broadly speaking. It’s Okay, however, if something that I would assume has to be included, is not, in this one. It’s about time for more users to get BDR – and I do say it is well worth it AT THE REGULAR PRICE: I bought it myself at the regular price and I am not going to claim that if You use it less than I do that you should be penny-pinching here. If it feels expensive to YOU it is probably because you don’t care for the sheer volume of it, or that you still think it’s similar to some other reference work (it’s not). Considering what I just said now, few things in life are like BDR: Like someone you can throw pretty much ANY question at and get a well-balanced answer which isn’t void of other perspectives.
The name in the title “Religion” doesn’t imply, here, that it is only of interest to religious people. Instead, anyone who is NON-RELIGIOUS should definitely get BDR. There are plenty of article-entries that are anything but narrow-minded or requiring a (specific) beliefsystem or some kind of faith in a supernatural realm. In fact, I’d recommend anyone who isn’t an Accordance user yet or who has barely any resources under Accordance and elsewhere, to get BDR because it is going to revolutionise your thinking and curiousity, plus will be of sheer help when you DON’T want to debate things with your friends or family.
A bonus is a fascinating and very introduction dividided into many chapters which covers many topics in depth – might or might not be a necessary read before you start reading the dictionary entries.