Contents:

Dramas from infinity : religion and its meaning --

Tribe and town : the history of religion --

Spirals of consciousness : the psychology of religion --

Dancing before God : religious symbol and rite --

Transcendent assemblies : sociology of religion --

Unearthly patterns in the mind : the conceptual life of religion --

Futures bazaar : options and issues in religion today and tomorrow.

Bringing together classical and contemporary, well-known and lesser-known writers, this anthology is an up-to-date resource for main currents of thought about religion. It touches on the history, psychology, symbolism, sociology and practices of religion. Authors speaking from within religious communities and writers observing religion from outside a formal religious structure present a balanced view of each of the major aspects of religion. a section on options and issues in religion today and tomorrow encapsulates the religious meaning of such recent trends as Eastern mysticism in America, neo-evangelicalism, space exploration, the medical revolution and world hunger. Alvin Toffler, Andrew Greeley and other scholars speculate on the future of religion and whether or not it is in the process of changing radically.