Guest Blog: Jane Fitzpatrick, Contributing Writer for Religion Matters
Ten Theories of Religion by Daniel L. Pals introduces several of the most commonly encountered themes in the study of religious traditions and a host of historically significant anthropological and philosophical attempts at defining religion. Pals originally published Seven Theories of Religion in 1996, and his efforts to collect the prominent social scientific ideas on the academic study of religions have continued to intrigue and inspire scholars for several years through his later editions.
For an introduction to Daniel L. Pals’s unique approach to the study of religions, check out this video from TenOnReligion.
About the Book
- animism
- sacredness
- alienation
- social action
- cultural systems
From the individual perspective to the collective community participation in ritual and belief in the sacred, this text explores the many “why’s” and “how’s” of experiencing religion.
Using the Book as a Learning Tool
If you are looking for a social scientific approach to studying religions or an introduction to the history of religious scholarship, consider this book as a handy pocket guide. Due to its style and reading level, I would recommend teaching this book to advanced twelfth graders and college students, in conjunction with weekly presentations on each chapter and scholar. Although it was intended to introduce non-scholars to academic concepts of religion, it can be a dense read for younger learners. Either way, this book includes some of the basic nuts and bolts of religious studies that every student in the field should know!
I also recommend that educators play an active guiding role in students’ engagement with this text. Picture and video-filled slide shows every week and developing a standardized worksheet would go a long way to helping students organize the information in each chapter. Quizzes and tests can then draw directly from these resources to solidify learning, understanding, and application.
Check out the sample worksheet I designed for teaching with this book…inspired by one my undergraduate courses!
Remember: this text is not theological. It is designed for academics in religious studies, which means its approach is academic and non-devotional. To learn more about this differentiation, check out the Policy and Guidelines page on this website or refer to the National Education Association’s article, “Teaching About Religion.”
Conclusion
I was first given Nine Theories of Religion by an Anthropology professor (before it became Ten Theories), and it has had a permanent home in my personal library ever since. As part of my Religious Studies major program requirements in college, I used the same text again for a course based entirely on theories of religions. Needless to say, I became very familiar with the cast of anthropologists and renowned thinkers through this work, and I have referenced it on more than one occasion in my professional career. Understanding the importance of defining religion — and how challenging it is to do so — is an essential lesson for students to learn early on in their academic careers. While I wouldn’t necessarily recommend reading it for pleasure on the beach, Ten Theories of Religion by Daniel L. Pals is an essential text for scholars of religions. For that reason, I hope educators will continue to pass this text along to their students and the generation of scholars yet to come.
About the Author
Jane Fitzpatrick researches the intersections between religious traditions and international affairs with a passion for opera and art. She earned her Master’s degree in International Affairs from Penn State University and her Bachelor’s degree in Religious Studies from Gettysburg College. She currently supports student programs at the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs at Georgetown University. Jane’s work has also been published by The Interfaith Observer, Practical Theology Hub, and the London School of Economics Religion and Global Society Blog.