ABSTRACT
Through a careful examination of the archaeological record of religious practices among diverse Amerindian societies, volume contributors deftly demonstrate that religion is fundamental to the fabric of political life. The volume’s authors break away from long-standing intellectual traditions that regard ancient religions as phenomena whose main purpose is to furnish people with overarching, integrative principles that can then be manipulated by leaders to achieve order and compliance. Contributors note that religion emerges and evolves from past and present experiences, that religion resides at the crossroads of timeless essence and everyday experience, and that religious communities are communities of practice that require specific spaces and things to develop and be maintained.
