The Spectrum Of The Sacred

This revised edition updates information and includes an explanation of the author's step-by-step presentation of the stages in the phenomenology of religion; an introduction to the current debate; over-reductionism; key philosophical terms used by Husserl; and reference sources for further reading.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1871.

Religion in 50 Words: A Critical Vocabulary is the first of a two-volume work that seeks to transform the study of religion by offering a radically critical perspective. It does so by providing a succinct and critical examination of the key words used in the modern study of religion. Arranged alphabetically, the book explores the historic roots, varied uses, and current significance and utility of the technical terms used within the current field of religious studies. These are the terms that both students and scholars routinely deploy to think about, describe, and analyze data—sometimes without realizing that they are themselves technical tools in need of attention. Among the topics covered: Belief Critical Culture Definition Environment Gender Ideology Lived religion Material religion Orthodoxy Politics Race Sacred/profane Secular Theory This book submits all of its terms to a critical interrogation and subsequent re-description, thereby allowing a collective reframing of the field. This volume is an indispensable resource for students and academics working in religious studies.

This book attempts to articulate the nature of a secular society, describe its benefits, and suggests the conditions under which such a society could emerge. To become secular, argues Fenn, is to open oneself and one's society to a wide range of possibilities, some interesting and exciting, some burdensome and dreadful. While some sociologists have argued that a "Civil Religion" is necessary to hold together our newly "religionless" society, Fenn urges that there is nothing to fear--and everything to gain--from living in a society that is not bound together by sacred memories and beliefs, or by sacred institutions and practices.

Understand Thailand’s important symbols, icons, and social practices Thailand’s culture is unlike any other. Travelers attempting to fully immerse themselves in all that this tourist destination has to offer find it essential to become culturally sensitive. Thailand Tourism provides readers with an indispensable overview of this remarkable land of contrasts. This invaluable text reveals the South East Asian country, its history, its culture, and its people’s fun-loving perspective of life. The importance of Thai symbols and their meaning, icons and social practices, its proud history of its constitutional monarchy, and its numerous religious temples are examined in detail. This book offers tourists and students of tourism an informative, realistic view of the people, food, entertainment, and scenery of one of the most exotic lands in the world. Thailand was never colonized by a foreign power. Because of the lack of outside influence, this South East Asian nation has fostered a culture thrillingly different from others. Thailand Tourism offers a rare, in-depth look at this unique country and provides the information travelers need to know to easily move about and make their trip memorable. The guide includes helpful typical tourist itineraries illustrating what to expect when booking plans. The Thai viewpoints on sexuality, marriage, and societal changes are analyzed in detail. The issue of violence is discussed, including its ingrained presence in everyday life. Helpful tables detail demographic information from several countries to shed light not only on where travelers originate, but also to study the contrasts with the Thai culture. The book also presents a primer on the semiotics of tourism, and then discusses significant signs and symbols infused in Thai culture including Thai smiles, the royal kingdom of Thailand, Buddhist monks, Buddha statues, and Wats (temples). The importance of elephants in modern Thailand is explored, as well as the importance of the nation’s ethnic tribes and the cultural significance of the Wai. Thai food, the Thai sex industry, and a comparison between Thailand and America are also examined. The final section presents author Arthur Asa Berger’s own notes of his travels throughout Thailand with cogent perspectives of the country as a ’monoculture’. Topics in Thailand Tourism include: a theoretical discussion of tourism statistical data on tourism in Thailand typical tourist itineraries in Thailand perceptions of Thailand in travel literature violence in Thai society analysis of Thai culture such as Thai smile, Wats, Buddha statues Discover an exotic, spiritual, sensual country like no other. Thailand Tourism is a must read for anyone planning to visit Thailand, students of tourism, and students of Thailand’s culture.

A leading scholar, cultural historian, and Catholic priest who spent more than fifty years writing about our engagement with the Earth, Thomas Berry possessed prophetic insight into the rampant destruction of ecosystems and the extinction of species. In this book he makes a persuasive case for an interreligious dialogue that can better confront the environmental problems of the twenty-first century. These erudite and keenly sympathetic essays represent Berry's best work, covering such issues as human beings' modern alienation from nature and the possibilities of future, regenerative forms of religious experience. Asking that we create a new story of the universe and the emergence of the Earth within it, Berry resituates the human spirit within a sacred totality.