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Written for students of comparative religion, the overall approach of this text is phenomenological and the book as a whole provides a detailed description of Christian practices, beliefs and symbols. Some chapters are historical providing an account of the development of religious ideas over time and exploring the changes that have come about in doctrine under various intellectual, social and religious influences. Chapters dealing with ritual and the important idea of ethical vitality posess a strong anthropological focus and this is matched by the sociological concerns in the chapter on women in Christianity. Clear recognition of the Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox traditions runs throughout the book.