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Indigenous Religions of the World

Author(s): Arnaud Lambert

Edition: 1

Copyright: 2019

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ISBN 9781524985271

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Spirits, sorcery, and shamanism have long captured the imagination of anthropologists and the general public. Over the last century and a half, ethnographic studies of indigenous religions have profoundly changed our ideas about the nature of human religiosity.

This book is intended to introduce readers to the religious beliefs and practices of indigenous peoples around the world, from the circumpolar religions of Asia and North America to the Amazon basin, and from the island societies of Micronesia, Polynesia and Melanesia to the kingdoms of southern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. The approach taken in this survey is both comparative and descriptive, and seeks to highlight how indigenous religions are influenced by their natural and societal surroundings.

Special Features:

  • Ethnographic maps of each region, showing the different indigenous societies mentioned in the text
  • A common organization for each chapter that facilitates the comparison of indigenous religions in different parts of the world in terms of their cosmologies, ontologies, myths, moral codes, rituals, ritual practitioners and the emergence of new religions
  • Case studies of specific religious traditions and customs that emphasize the diversity of human religiosity within a particular region of the world
  • A glossary of indigenous terms in order to highlight culture-specific religious concepts
  • Learning activities in each chapter that enable readers to develop a greater understanding and appreciation for indigenous religious worlds
  • Suggested reading lists for each region to enable readers to delve more deeply into the religious beliefs and practices of the peoples in that particular part of the world

Preface

Chapter 1 Indigenous Religions of the Circumpolar Regions
Chapter 2 Indigenous Religions of East Asia
Chapter 3 Indigenous Religions of South Asia
Chapter 4 Indigenous Religions of Tibet and the Himalayas
Chapter 5 Indigenous Religions of Southeast Asia
Chapter 6 Indigenous Religions of Australia
Chapter 7 Indigenous Religions of Melanesia
Chapter 8 Indigenous Religions of Polynesia
Chapter 9 Indigenous Religions of Micronesia
Chapter 10 Indigenous Religions of North America
Chapter 11 Indigenous Religions of Mesoamerica
Chapter 12 Indigenous Religions of Amazonia
Chapter 13 Indigenous Religions of the Andes
Chapter 14 Indigenous Religions of Sub-Saharan Africa

Glossary of Key Terms
Bibliography

Arnaud Lambert
Arnaud F. Lambert (BA, University of Rhode Island, 1996; MA, University of Iowa, 1999; PhD, Brandeis University, 2011) is professor of anthropology at Onondaga Community College where he has taught since 2007. Although his graduate training was primarily in cultural anthropology and archaeology, Professor Lambert has maintained a strong commitment to the four sub-fields of general anthropology throughout his career. Before coming to Onondaga, he taught courses in anthropology and sociology at a number of community colleges and universities in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Professor Lambert has conducted ethnographic fieldwork in the United States and archaeological fieldwork in both Mexico (2005) and Guatemala (2009). His general interests include the anthropology of religion, ancient writing systems, material culture studies, the origins of complex societies, rock art research, and Mesoamerican (particularly Olmec) studies. His research has appeared in international peer-reviewed journals such as Mexicon, Expression, Rock Art Research, American Indian Rock Art, and Adoranten among others.

Spirits, sorcery, and shamanism have long captured the imagination of anthropologists and the general public. Over the last century and a half, ethnographic studies of indigenous religions have profoundly changed our ideas about the nature of human religiosity.

This book is intended to introduce readers to the religious beliefs and practices of indigenous peoples around the world, from the circumpolar religions of Asia and North America to the Amazon basin, and from the island societies of Micronesia, Polynesia and Melanesia to the kingdoms of southern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. The approach taken in this survey is both comparative and descriptive, and seeks to highlight how indigenous religions are influenced by their natural and societal surroundings.

Special Features:

  • Ethnographic maps of each region, showing the different indigenous societies mentioned in the text
  • A common organization for each chapter that facilitates the comparison of indigenous religions in different parts of the world in terms of their cosmologies, ontologies, myths, moral codes, rituals, ritual practitioners and the emergence of new religions
  • Case studies of specific religious traditions and customs that emphasize the diversity of human religiosity within a particular region of the world
  • A glossary of indigenous terms in order to highlight culture-specific religious concepts
  • Learning activities in each chapter that enable readers to develop a greater understanding and appreciation for indigenous religious worlds
  • Suggested reading lists for each region to enable readers to delve more deeply into the religious beliefs and practices of the peoples in that particular part of the world

Preface

Chapter 1 Indigenous Religions of the Circumpolar Regions
Chapter 2 Indigenous Religions of East Asia
Chapter 3 Indigenous Religions of South Asia
Chapter 4 Indigenous Religions of Tibet and the Himalayas
Chapter 5 Indigenous Religions of Southeast Asia
Chapter 6 Indigenous Religions of Australia
Chapter 7 Indigenous Religions of Melanesia
Chapter 8 Indigenous Religions of Polynesia
Chapter 9 Indigenous Religions of Micronesia
Chapter 10 Indigenous Religions of North America
Chapter 11 Indigenous Religions of Mesoamerica
Chapter 12 Indigenous Religions of Amazonia
Chapter 13 Indigenous Religions of the Andes
Chapter 14 Indigenous Religions of Sub-Saharan Africa

Glossary of Key Terms
Bibliography

Arnaud Lambert
Arnaud F. Lambert (BA, University of Rhode Island, 1996; MA, University of Iowa, 1999; PhD, Brandeis University, 2011) is professor of anthropology at Onondaga Community College where he has taught since 2007. Although his graduate training was primarily in cultural anthropology and archaeology, Professor Lambert has maintained a strong commitment to the four sub-fields of general anthropology throughout his career. Before coming to Onondaga, he taught courses in anthropology and sociology at a number of community colleges and universities in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Professor Lambert has conducted ethnographic fieldwork in the United States and archaeological fieldwork in both Mexico (2005) and Guatemala (2009). His general interests include the anthropology of religion, ancient writing systems, material culture studies, the origins of complex societies, rock art research, and Mesoamerican (particularly Olmec) studies. His research has appeared in international peer-reviewed journals such as Mexicon, Expression, Rock Art Research, American Indian Rock Art, and Adoranten among others.