Contemporary discourses on religion generally centre either on its ideological dimensions or on its practical implications, though there is always an implicit tension between these two. This book tries to bridge the gap and explore this complex phenomenon in the context of rising popularity of rationalist outlook in social life, and of secularization and de-divinization perspective in sociological and philosophical literatures. In order to provide a complete and comprehensive analysis of religion this book focuses on: Traditional Religions such as Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam. Classical Theories of Karl Marx, Friedrich Nietzsche, Emile Durkheim and Max Weber. The Enlightenment Critique of Religion. Tribal Religion and Folk Religion. Religion and Globalization. Scholars from USA, UK, Canada, Australia, South Africa, Bangladesh, Iran and India have contributed to this volume and the melange of diverse viewpoints has enriched the quality of the book. This book will undoubtedly prove useful to the scholars and students of sociology, anthropology, philosophy, history and religion studies.

Soumyajit Patra is a Lecturer in the Department of Sociology at Vidyasagar University, Paschim Medinipur, West Bengal. His research interests are tribal culture, gender issues and sociology of religion. He has been actively involved in sociological research projects and publications at the national and international levels. His participation in a wide range of national and international seminars has earned him a place in the academic world.