Anthropological Studies of Religion: An Introductory Text

by Brian Morris

In this important, scholarly and wide-ranging text, Brian Morris provides a lucid outline of the nature of the explanations of religious phenomena offered by such great thinkers as Hegel, Marx, and Weber. In doing so he also unravels the many theoretical strategies in the study of religion that have been developed and explored by later anthropologists. Besides discussing the classical authors and the debates surrounding their work, Morris presents perceptive accounts of more contemporary scholars such as Jung, Malinowski, Levi-Strauss, Geertz, and Godelier. Written from the standpoint of critical sympathy, and free of jargon, this book is an invaluable guide to the writings on religion of all the major figures in anthropology.

Genres: Anthropology, Religion, Nonfiction, Social Science, Sociology, Philosophy, Academic

382 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1987

About the author

Brian Morris (born 1936) is emeritus professor of anthropology at Goldsmiths College at the University of London. He is a specialist on folk taxonomy, ethnobotany and ethnozoology, and on religion and symbolism.

He has carried out fieldwork among South Asian hunter-gatherers and in Malawi. Groups that he has studied include the Ojibwa.

Leaving school at the age of fifteen, Brian Morris had a varied career: foundry worker, seaman, and tea-planter in Malawi, before becoming a university teacher. Now Emeritus Professor of Anthropology at Goldsmiths College, University of London, he is the author of numerous articles and books on ethnobotany, religion and symbolism, hunter-gatherer societies and concepts of the individual.

His books include Richard Jefferies and the Ecological Vision (2006), Religion and Anthropology: A Critical Introduction(2006), Insects and Human Life (2004) and Kropotkin: The Politics of Community (2004). Black Rose Books is also the publisher of hisBakunin: The Philosophy of Freedom (1993) and the forthcoming Anarchist Miscellany.

Reviews

[Şevval Ateş · Rating 3 out of 5]

Morris'in Din Antropolojisi'nin şekillenmesine öncülük etmiş sosyal bilimcilerin çalışmalarından derlediği bu kitap, bir yan okuma olarak Din Antropolojisi okuması yapan herkesin başucunda yer almalı. Ancak bu çalışma, "Elementary Forms of Religious Life", "Purity and Danger", "Magic, Science and Religion" gibi pek çok eserin ön okuması eşliğinde okuyucuya aradığını verecektir. Kitabı bir ana referans kaynağı olarak almayı doğru bulmadığım gibi, tek başına yapılmış bir okumasının da yetersiz olacağı kanaatindeyim.

Zorlayıcı bir çalışma olması ve pek çok farklı kuramcının çalışmalarına ayrı ayrı ve ilişkisel olarak yer vermesi dolayısıyla çevirisini okumanın da oldukça yorucu olduğunu belirtmeliyim. Mümkün olduğu takdirde, tüm sosyal bilimler eserlerinde olduğu gibi, orijinalinin okunması taraftarıyım.

[Uğur · Rating 5 out of 5]

In evaluating the phenomenon of religion from every angle, Durkheim, Evans-Pritchard, Marx, Freud, Geertz, Hegel, Spencer, Malinowski and many more theorists, writers, thinkers and anthropologists that I can't name, have presented us with a full analysis by considering them from multiple perspectives. Brian Morris.

I can't offer a detailed critique of the book, as Morris deals with the philosophers' explorations of religion rather than from his own point of view. Because while the book includes both historical materialist philosophy, idealist philosophy, psychological analyzes, structuralist and poststructuralist analyzes, expressionist perspectives, and evolutionist perspectives are also present. I can say that the book is a complete bibliography.

Regarding the content of the book, in my opinion, the most accurate anthropological study would be the one that will be made through a society that has not yet attributed a meaning to religious phenomena and has not qualified. Because the only thing to be heard in a society with a religious reflex will be religious praise. While this is an indication that religion has a universal quality, a healthy analysis will not be possible. Because, besides the spiritualist point of view, the Naturalist point of view also has an ancient past as it exists in every society. In order to be able to resolve this contradiction, I think it is necessary to examine a society, class or group that has not yet examined myths. Having come across this view in the book really connected me to the book. I advise.

[John Workman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book exceptionally written and sourced, as I have noticed about most of Morris' works, and the density is inspiring. Just thinking about how much he read to write this is overwhelming. This is a textbook, an anthropology textbook, so I don't recommend it to anyone who isn't interested in a long read. I have always been fascinated with "religion" and it's place in humanity and society. This book gives such a thorough analysis of the subject that it's hard to find anything wrong with it although I would have liked to see the synthesis I have seen Morris undertake in his later works within this one as too much of the book builds up understanding of different approaches and disagreements within the field with only very limited direction given to how he believes this diversity of thought and study can be reconciled through a dialectic. Of course this is only an introduction and thus I can't fault it even too much for only introducing us to the conversation. All in all this was an extremely insightful intro into the academic tradition of studying religion and the various philosophies developed around the task of understanding religious history within the context of anthropology

[Gary Bruff · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this textbook at Borders back in the late 80's. I was trying to get into graduate school for anthropology, and at the time the relation of religion to human nature was my primary interest (what was I thinking?). The book was a good one for independent study, though. The theoretical summaries are thorough and not too taxing for a recent grad. I was led in the direction of some important works which I subsequently read with gusto (Durkheim, Elementary Forms of the Religious Life; Freud, Totem and Taboo; probably others I can't remember right now). As it turned out I needed to read these in graduate culture theory/systems seminars later down the road.

The book is most likely still relevant to anthropology students, as I don't think it is too out of date. Very little if any seminal work has been done recently on the topic as far as I know. But be sure to use it as a beacon to the classics of anthropology, not as a work you would possibly use and cite in an exam or thesis.

[Ryan Daley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rich book with thick context... To rich for the average reader - but thorough!