Theory for Religious Studies (theory4)
by Timothy K. Beal
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Theory for Religious Studies presents the key theoretical influences on religious studies since the 1960s - an essential guide to the figures and ideas animating religious studies today. Drawing on thier complementary knowledge of Eastern and Western religious traditions, William Deal and Timothy Beal begin with four foundartional figures - Marx, Nietzsche, Saussure and Freud - and go on to provide guided introductions to Althusser, Bakhtin, Barthes, Bataille, Baudrillard, Benjamin, show more Bourdieu, Butler, Cixous, Deleuze and Guattari, Derrida, Foucault, Gadamer, Irigaray, Kristeva, Lacan, Lefebvre, show lessTags
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I loved this book. When I was getting my degree in religious studies this was one of the books for my senior seminar. The book starts off describing the influence of the "predecessors" Freud, Marx, Nietzsche and Saussure. Then it has an alphabetical listing of the theorists. Some are actual theorists of religion, but most are from other social sciences--sociology, anthropology, gender studies. Their influence on religious studies and allied fields is examined. I didn't have time to read Foucault, Althusser etc., so this book was a great reference. However, the entries on Walter Benjamin, Jacques Derrida and Emmanuel Levinas stirred up enough interest in me to delve further into those personalities.
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Author Information

17+ Works 943 Members
Timothy Beal is the Florence Harkness Professor of Religion at Case Western University. He has published eleven books, including Biblical Literacy: The Essential Bible Stories Everyone Needs to Know and Roadside Religion: In Search of the Sacred, the Strange, and the Substance of Faith.
Classifications
- Genres
- Nonfiction, Religion & Spirituality, Sociology, Literature Studies and Criticism, Philosophy
- DDC/MDS
- 200.71 — Religion The Bible & Christianity Religion Education, research, related topics Education, Curricula
- LCC
- BL41 .D46 — Philosophy, Psychology and Religion Religions. Mythology. Rationalism Religions. Mythology. Rationalism Religion (General)
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 30
- Popularity
- 928,199
- Reviews
- 1
- Rating
- (4.00)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 5




















































