The third edition of this widely popular book offers a unique perspective on how people engage in everyday religious practices , such as prayer, sacrifice, pilgrimage, and dress, as well as investigates major issues of gender, nation-states, and laws with respect to religion.

No other book examines the full spectrum of religions from small-scale societies to full-blown “world religious movements.” The in-depth treatment of Islam and Christianity is of particular interest to students, and is easily expanded to include field projects directly related to material covered in the text. As one reviewer writes, “In our post 9/11 era, it is great to have a book whose author has done fieldwork in Indonesia and is so knowledgeable about Islam. ” The third edition includes new material on the anthropology of war, expanded coverage of American religions and an exploration of how non-practitioners of organized religion turn to alternative beliefs, such as health food, tarot cards and psychics.