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Distributed for Eburon Academic Publishers

Playful Religion

Challenges for the Study of Religion

Playful Religion explores the concept of play as it appears within the rituals and practices of various religions from around the world, such as Latin American Pentecostalism and the African religion of Candomblé. Despite the seriousness of the issues religion generally deals with, this book demonstrates that the idea of play is an essential part of religious life across cultures and throughout history. Making use of case studies that focus on contemporary religious choices, religious syncretism, and the fate of religion in Western Europe, Playful Religion is an in-depth look at the changing and highly imaginative face of global religion.

212 pages | 6 1/4 x 9 1/2 | © 2006

Religion: Religion and Society


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Table of Contents

Contents
Introduction: On play, imagination, and the study of religion
Anton van Harskamp
The Normalization of Religious Experience: Healing, prophecy, dreams and visions
André Droogers
Paradoxical Views on a Paradoxical Religion: Models for the explanation of Pentecostal expansion in Brazil and Chile
André Droogers
The Third Bank of the River: Play, methodological ludism, and the definition of religion
André Droogers
Playing Religion? Experience, meaning and the ludic approach
Peter Versteeg
Choice and Religious Pluralism in Brazil: Another view
Sidney M. Greenfield
Religious Syncretism Japanese Style in Brazil
Peter B. Clarke
The Future of Religion: And its implications for the social sciences
Grace Davie
Afterwords: And interview with André Droogers on play and religion
Anton van Harskamp, Miranda Laver, Johan Roeland, Peter Versteeg
Bibliography: André Droogers
Note on the Contributors

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