Interpreting the Sacred: Ways of Viewing Religion

by William E. Paden

Ways of Viewing Religion

Adding a wise and sympathetic voice to the many contradictory perspectives on religion, Paden, professor of religion at the University of Vermont, argues that how we see religion has everything to do with where we are standing.

"To appreciate the fascinating, forbidding landscape of current religious theory, one needs a clear map annotated by an observant guide. Interpreting the Sacred qualifies on both counts."
-Christian Century

Genres: Religion, Nonfiction

176 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1993

Reviews

[Titus Hjelm · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've had this lying around since my PG days and decided finally to see what it is about. Points to Paden for trying to be balanced, but I couldn't avoid the feeling that the primary market for the book is religious adolescents who come to college to study religion (in the academic sense). It has little to offer in terms of sociology of religion, and even less in psychology of religion--that section is only about Jung, which, I'd guess (and hope...), is a minority interest in the subfield today. Oxfam, here we come...

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

More when I'm done. It's quite verbose and academic, so it is taking some time to read and truly digest the contents, but it is very enlightening and profound.