4.19

4

Feb 09, 2020

Pals does a really nice job here of giving in-depth analyses of nine major theorists of religion, and eloquently shows how various theorists have built on the traditions of others in constructing their own work. The interconnected nature of theorists and theories is no easy thing to describe, but Pals does this very nicely, and in a very analytic fashion that illustrates major arguments while also pointing to other useful readings and resources to explore about each theorist covered. The Pals does a really nice job here of giving in-depth analyses of nine major theorists of religion, and eloquently shows how various theorists have built on the traditions of others in constructing their own work. The interconnected nature of theorists and theories is no easy thing to describe, but Pals does this very nicely, and in a very analytic fashion that illustrates major arguments while also pointing to other useful readings and resources to explore about each theorist covered. The chapters are actually very breezy and quick to get through, without any sacrifice in terms of depth. There looks like a lot of text on the pages, and the book itself seems a bit long, but the chapters themselves are actually very easy to get through, and the deliberate structure that Pals provides to guide each chapter makes them simple to proceed through and connect together. This still isn't necessarily casual reading, per se, but it makes the whole endeavor a lot more palatable and enjoyable to get through. ...more

3

Jul 19, 2019

This is a challenging read, Freud's theory is still shocking even for today's secular culture. I find Pals' analysis (and critique) at the end of each chapter very helpful.