The Anthropology of Religion, Magic, and Witchcraft

by Rebecca L. Stein, Philip L. Stein

This concise introductory textbook emphasizes the major concepts of both anthropology and the anthropology of religion. It is aimed at students encountering anthropology for the first time. Reviewers describe the text as vivid, rich, user-friendly, accessible, and well-organized.

The text examines religious expression from a cross-cultural perspective while incorporating key theoretical concepts. In addition to providing a basic overview of anthropology, including definition of key terms and exposure to ethnographies, the text exposes students to the varying complexity of world religions.

Genres: Anthropology, Nonfiction, Religion, School, Textbooks, Witchcraft, History

288 pages, Paperback

First published August 30, 2004

Reviews

[Amelia Oswald]

It was easy to read, for a text book. This is a text book right 😂

[Sonia]

This book teaches you about the very many religions out in the world and the principles that define religion. While the text can be card to understand sometimes, if you have the right teacher for it (and i was very lucky to have the right one) it's a very enjoyable class.

This books also talks about how some people take religion too far and how they are not the norm. Which i believe is a great topic to discuss especially because of the current events taking place now.

[Larry McCloskey]

As a textbook, this book is great. It offers explorations of many different topics and looks at them all from many differing perspectives and from different cultural groups and culture areas.

The depth of some topics is a bit light, but the "easy reading" writing style makes the trade-off worth it. The book is definitely written from a position of cultural relativism, though, which makes discussion a bit lacking at times - culture's beliefs are stated as fact and left alone. For higher level courses, more time spent on understanding the whys and hows would be nice - but, again, this is a textbook so a good instructor could and should certainly fill in those gaps.

[Paige Johnson]

Never will forget the Brazilian custom to make banana stew out of loved ones’ ashes to be closer to them.

[mo]

Not super in-depth, but a very approachable textbook for a complex set of subjects.

[jacqueline]

yay i love religion & society class

[Kay]

read this for school and it was painfully white

[Yvette]

3.5 stars

This is the book my professor used in my Anthropology class. I read the last 2 chapters on my own (the professor was fond of going off on tangents) to complete the book because the information about the development of religion, magic, and witchcraft was comprehensively presented with plenty of interesting photographs and tables. I am keeping this book for future reference.

[Amylyn]

Contains a lot of interesting material. Elaboration was stingy but variety was definitely not. There were many different types of cultures looked at, traditions acknowledged, and terms defined. There were parts that were hard to get through because of the lack of enthusiasm. It was pretty blunt and lacked passion, but it is a book mainly meant to teach an overview and not meant to really get into the subject matter in a deep and meaningful way. Overall, I enjoyed the knowledge gained.

[Kiara]

I read this for my World Religion class. I thought it was really good, but a Native American coworker took a look at it and informed me of the bias it presented. It's extremely difficult to find anything without bias these days. That being said, I did enjoy reading it. It was very easy to get through especially for a textbook.

[Shelly Wilson]

This is a textbook we use for a class I teach. The anthropology of religion is a really interesting topic, but this text makes it seem tedious. It’s informative, which is why it gets three stars instead of two. If you’re looking for an Anthropology of Religion text for your class, keep going- there has got to be a better one out there.

[Alexander]

Rebecca L. Stein's The Anthropology of Religion, Magic, and Witchcraft provides an engaging introduction to the study of belief systems from an anthropological perspective. Rather than focusing on whether religious or supernatural beliefs are true or false, the book emphasizes understanding why these beliefs exist, how they function within societies, and what they reveal about human culture. This approach encourages readers to examine their own assumptions while learning to appreciate the diversity of religious and spiritual practices around the world.

One of the book's greatest strengths is its use of cross-cultural examples. Stein draws on case studies from many different societies to illustrate how religion, magic, and witchcraft influence everyday life, including health, politics, family relationships, and economics. These examples make abstract concepts easier to understand and demonstrate that belief systems often serve practical social and psychological purposes. The book also introduces important anthropological concepts, such as cultural relativism, helping readers understand why beliefs should be examined within their cultural context rather than judged by outside standards.

The writing is generally clear and accessible, making complex ideas understandable for students who may be new to anthropology. Each chapter builds logically on previous material and includes examples that encourage readers to think critically about the relationship between culture and belief. The discussion of rituals, symbolism, and religious change is especially interesting because it shows how traditions evolve while continuing to shape communities.

One minor limitation is that some chapters introduce many anthropological theories and terms in a relatively short space, which may require careful reading. However, the numerous examples and case studies help clarify these concepts and keep the material engaging.

Overall, The Anthropology of Religion, Magic, and Witchcraft is an informative and thought-provoking textbook.

[Erik Bodien]

This book is an incredibly well-written and in-depth exploration of the anthropology of religion. It provides a thorough examination of key theories, terms, and case studies, making it a valuable resource for both students and general readers interested in the subject. The work never felt too dense or overwhelming, yet it still engaged with complex ideas in a meaningful way.

The reason I’m giving it four instead of five stars is less about any major flaw and more about personal preference. While the book covers a lot, I occasionally found myself wanting deeper engagement with certain topics or more critical discussions on specific theories. That said, it remains an excellent introduction to the field and a worthwhile read for anyone interested in the anthropology of religion.

[Andrew]

I really enjoyed the logical structure of this textbook as I thought it did a great job of providing a progression of topics which fall in to the categories or religion, magic, and witchcraft. My only real critique of this book is that I wanted more from it! It fits perfectly to a semester course and provides a pretty general overview of a lot of great topics, but will leave the reader wanting more detail in some sections; however, the recommended readings at the end of each chapter are pretty great as it provides nonfiction and fiction literature to read to allow the reader to learn more of a topic that may interest them.

[Juan Arboleda]

Great and easy to follow

This is a great book of you want to learn and see beliefs, magic, and rituals in a different light. Having used this book for the class gave me a new appreciation the things other cultures do different.

[Alesa West]

Needed for anthropology course

This book was required but overall it was a good read. Ended up with an A so it was easily read although the course itself was challenging. As long as you enjoy anthropology you will enjoy this book.

[Liam Scales]

I really enjoyed this read. It kept my attention thought most of it, and the authors did a really good job of establishing definitions and a vocabulary, so when it got more complex, it didn't get confusing. I'm glad I got to add it to my bookshelf and didn't just rent it.

[DawnOfSpice]

At times it was very hard to get through, although the little stories and examples sprinkled throughout made it easier to read.

[Janet]

Enjoyed reading this! Very informative.

[Lukasz]

recommendation: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fb...

[Eric]

The book is fairly basic and easy to read. A good introduction to some concepts and themes.

[Mitchell]

This is a good introductory textbook for those who are interested in the topics. However please consult other resources too

[Haley]

ANTH 4751

[Gissell Del Castillo]

Great introductory textbook

[Dakota Evans]

Amazing :D

[Jeff]

Educational, interesting, and written with an appropriate amount of background and rigor for a student new to anthropology

[elise Johnson]

Incredible dense with really amazing commentary and also super reader friendsly for beginner anthropologists! Wonderful wonderful

[Amy Harper]

I'm not sure I've ever been happier that a professor made us read the entire textbook cover to cover.

[Dee]

Solid intro book for people trying to learn about the origins of spirituality and why and how people seek to explain things with the supernatural.

[Alexandria]

Great book for an intro anthropology class into religion. Covers the basics of what religions are made up of while remaining respectful, with both emic and etic perspectives.