Religion and American Cultures: An Encyclopedia of Traditions, Diversity, and Popular Expressions by Gary Laderman (Editor), Gary Laderman

Product Details

Synopsis

This three-volume reference for a general and student (high school and above) audience was prepared under the editorial leadership of Laderman (American religious history and culture, Emory U.) and León (Latino studies and religious studies, U. of California, Berkeley), with signed contributions from a long list of scholars. It comprises 26 anchor essays and some 120 supplementary essays—each with cross references and a bibliography—examining religions both within and outside of the mainstream, as well as themes such as sacred spaces, sexuality, films, and religious communities on the Internet. The final volume offers primary source documents that exemplify religious diversity. Annotation ©2003 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Library Journal

Gr 9 Up-Each volume of this engrossing set has a different organization and focus. Volume one covers ethnic groupings and gives equal space to each of the major communities. Separate sections treat "New" and "New Age" traditions (Christian Science, Adventist, Mormon, and even Raelian and vampire culture are included, but surprisingly, Baha'i is not). Essays explore facets of each subject: the section on Judaism, for example, includes a general essay, followed by articles on the American synagogue, assimilation, Holocaust/Israel, Judaism/Jewishness, and politics. Coverage of African- and Asian-American, and Native American traditions is extensive as is the examination of "Islam in America," and Latino/Latina religious communities. Volume two organizes its articles under topics, e.g., "The Body," "Death," "Sexuality," and "Violence." The article "The Bible and Sodom in America," for instance, discusses competing scholarly views of the subject. Other articles cover abortion, masturbation, reproduction, sexual dissidence, and sexual identities. The final volume contains a wide-ranging and important selection of 75 primary texts; the introduction notes lacunae (especially Native and non-Judeo-Christian). The articles are lucid and accessible to nonspecialists. Throughout the first two volumes, black-and-white photographs with brief but informative captions draw readers to adjoining text. To meet the mandate to connect religion with cultures, writers examine film, Christian rock music, Sufism, piercing, Wicca, Swedenborg, technology, Santeria, Scientology, nature, shopping, Tupperware, baseball, and a host of fascinating mainstream and tangential phenomena. This set sheds welcome light on this absorbing, multifarious, and still vital area of American life.-Patricia D. Lothrop, St. George's School, Newport, RI Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.