This companion offers the most comprehensive survey to-date of the study of religion. Featuring a team of international contributors, and edited by one of the most widely respected scholars in the field, The Blackwell Companion to the Study of Religion provides a truly interdisciplinary and authoritative guide to its subject. The volume: examines the main approaches to the study of religion - anthropological, economical, literary, philosophical, psychological, sociological, and theological; covers a range of specific topics, such as the body, fundamentalism, magic, and new religious movements; reviews, within each chapter, the key issues and debates; and provides a bibliographical guide to the main literature on each subject. The quality and the coverage ensure that this companion will be the definitive reference work for students and scholars alike.