ABSTRACT
This book aims to give the reader an introduction to, and an analysis of, current scientific work on religion. It is, however, a work of philosophy as well as science, written by thinkers who are aware of the history of their discipline. So, as well as setting out the current science, it also addresses a number of philosophical and historical questions. Why has religion not always been studied scientifically? What has led to the change in the way religion is studied? Why is the new science of religion so apparently fragmented? What should the aims of such a science be and what can we hope from it?
