This book offers a clear, concise introduction to the meaning of problematic terms, and the ways in which they should legitimately be used. Each entry considers the following:

– Why is this concept problematic?
– What are the origins of the concept?
– How is it used or misused, and by whom?
– Is it still a legitimate concept in the study of religion and, if so, what are its legitimate uses?
– Are there other concepts that are preferable when writing on religion?

Concepts covered include:

– Belief
– Religion
– Magic
– Secularisation
– Violence

This is a jargon-free indispensable resource for students and scholars that encourages the critical use of terms in the study of religion.

George D. Chryssides is Research Fellow in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at York St John University, UK. His publications include The Study of Religion (Bloomsbury, 2014) and The Bloomsbury Companion to Studying Christians (Bloomsbury, 2020).

Amy Whitehead is Senior Lecturer in Social Anthropology at Massey University, New Zealand. Her publications include Religious Statues and Personhood: Testing the Role of Materiality (Bloomsbury, 2013) and she is the managing editor for Bloomsbury Studies in Material Religion.