The Thing about Religion

“Academics with an interest in religion or anthropology will most appreciate this broad examination of religious practice.”—Publishers Weekly

“A fresh look at the role of objects in relationship to religion. . . . Morgan breaks with traditional approaches to objects as inert artifacts that play little more than a symbolic role in a static religion. Instead, he recognizes objects as dynamic, integral, and even transformative to the history and very nature of their religions.”—Nova Religio

“All in all, The Thing About Religion is a wonderful book that clearly explains the relevance of studying religion not only as a belief system, but also as a system of things, performances, rituals, and much more.”—Reading Religion

“A welcome addition to the existing scholarship on the material study of religion. It will offer students, instructors, and other scholars a concise, theoretically rigorous, and engaging introduction to how the philosophical underpinnings of material culture intersect with the practices and study of religion.”—Journal of Religion

“In seinem neusten Werk, welches im theoretischen Teil stark auf seinen Publikationen aus den letzten drei Jahrzehnten aufbaut, zeigt Morgan einmal mehr, wie sehr der Blick auf Religionen und religiöse Praktiken in den letzten Jahrhunderten von einem Anthropozentrismus geprägt war, der Menschen als einzige Akteure porträtierte und die Macht ritueller Praktiken vernachlässigte.”—SZRKG/RSHRC/RSSRC

Translation: “In his latest work, whose theoretical part builds strongly on his publications over the last three decades, Morgan shows once again how the view of religions and religious practices in recent centuries has been shaped by an anthropocentrism that portrayed humans as the only actors and neglected the power of ritual practices.”—SZRKG/RSHRC/RSSRC

“David Morgan’s engaging and accessible primer sets out how and why religion matters. Brimming with great cases, the book is both judicious and capacious in addressing a large swath of religious traditions, as well as a range of fields and methodologies. Morgan, who helped to define this approach to religious culture, demonstrates to students as well as scholars in religious studies, anthropology, art history, and related fields how to push beyond articulations of religion as all about questions of meaning and belief.”—Matthew Engelke, Columbia University

“David Morgan has again proven himself to be the leading voice for the modern study of material religion. Rich in fascinating details and broader reflections, this book offers pause and practical wisdom for all who are interested in significant and novel ways to study religion. It is also ideally suited for teaching at a variety of levels.”—Justin McDaniel, University of Pennsylvania