"In a world that remains governed by powerful myths, we must deepen our understanding of ourselves and others by considering more carefully the ways in which the mythological systems to which we cling and social...
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We North Americans live in a remarkably diverse society, and it's increasingly common to be invited to a wedding, funeral, or other religious service of a friend, relative, or coworker whose faith is different from our own.

These can be awkward situations....

• What will happen? What do I do? What do I wear? What do I say?
• What should I avoid doing, wearing, saying?
• Is it okay to use a video camera?
• How long will it last?
• What are their basic beliefs?
• Will there be a reception?
• Will there be food?
• Should I bring a gift?<...
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Deliverance from bondage is at the heart of the Christian message. It is also, as this volume demonstrates, the message in the hearts of men and women living religiously in diverse traditions around the world. Of Human Bondage and Divine Grace is the first bringing together of multitraditional insights on a single religious theme. It comprises 20 papers by 12 scholars, representing the Hindu, Buddhist, Ancient Greek, Jewish, Shinto, Greek Orthodox, Muslim, Roman Catholic, and Protestant conceptions of bondage and grace.

A key theme in the anthropology of beliefs is the relationship between socio-economic change and changes in the belief system. It has been widely argued that rapid economic change, particularly the introduction of capitalism, leads to an increase in beliefs in, and representations of, evil and the devil. These beliefs, it is argued, constitute forms of resistance to, or rejection of, "modernity." This volume builds on these arguments, suggesting that rather than an indigenous resistance to capitalism, such representations signal a profound moral ambivalence towards the socio-economic proce...
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