The Routledge Handbook of Research Methods in the Study of Religion

'This handbook is truly groundbreaking for the study of religion. …This volume should be required reading for any student of theories and methods in the study of religion at the graduate level. Scholars and researchers who were not taught these new approaches will find a concise and strong overview of advances in the field.' - L. L. Lam-Easton, California State University, Northridge in CHOICE

'[This handbook] is the first of its kind, and due to its high quality and usefulnessit will remain a cutting-edge reference work for students of religion in theyears to come. …[It] is an excellent guide for exploring, choosing, and improving researchmethods that all too often are only unreflectively used in the academic studyof religion. It is highly recommended to graduate students and scholars ofreligion.' - Kocku von Stuckrad, University of Groningen in NUMEN

‘This handbook is the most significant contribution to the field of religious studies that I have seen in many years. For too long our "theory and method" courses have focused almost exclusively on theory and provided little training in research methods. Both the introductory chapters on methodological issues and the chapters on specific methods – some familiar and many that are not – are outstanding. If taken to heart, it will move undergraduate and graduate education in the study of religion to a much higher level of sophistication.’ - Ann Taves, University of California at Santa Barbara, USA

‘Reading this handbook one begins to wonder: how could we ever do without it? Written by highly experienced practitioners of research, this collection of essays will make a big difference in the study of religions. The concise introduction to the strength and weaknesses of 22 methods, accompanied by graphic examples in boxes, explanations of fundamental concepts, and a well-selected annotated bibliography, is indispensable. The chapters on methods destroy the assumption that our practice of research may rely on self-evident tools, showing instead that each of them is disputed and has its own pitfalls.’ - Hans G. Kippenberg, Jacobs University, Germany

'The Handbook [is] a unique and much needed resource: its focal point is methodology—not content, like other resources. …Its distinctiveness, extensive bibliographic tools, and multi-national authorship make it a commendable tool that would be used by multiple levels of scholarship pursuing research in the study of religion.' – Garrett Trott, Corban University, USA