Encyclopedia of ReligionEncyclopedia of Religion

The 1987 first edition, edited by renowned scholar Mircea Eliade (d.1986, formerly history of religion, U. of Chicago), is cited in Guide to Reference Books and in Books for College Libraries, 3d ed., which wrote, "it has quickly become the standard work"; the Wilson Library Bulletin noted that "With all its comprehensiveness and sophistication, it is still accessible to high school students doing reports on individual religions." This second edition, edited by Lindsay Jones of Ohio State U., contains some 600 new entries and revision of many others. For each, the author's name is given, along with the date the entry was written and revised. Many entries are divided into several articles, providing a thorough and expansive history of the topic with consideration of the state of research and discussion of the sources of theory and opinion. In all there are about 3,300 entries, each concluding with a bibliography (some annotated). All but the final volume contain an eight-page color section of images and accompanying text devoted to a particular theme. Volume 15 contains a synoptic outline of the contents and the index. This reference is a truly substantial achievement that will not disappoint students embarking on research or general readers seeking discussion of religious issues, places, traditions, and people. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)