In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

Acknowledgments This volume owes its genesis to a set of issues and methodologies supplied by my colleagues in the North American Association for the Study of Religion (NAASR). Often critical of the status quo, this organization’s raison d’être is the investigation of that which brings data constructed as “religious” into existence. The focus, in other words, is on what is commonly called “metastudies.” I would accordingly like to thank my colleagues in that organization for their patience and good humor: William E. Arnal, Herbert Berg, Willi Braun, Matthew Day, Craig Martin, Russell McCutcheon, and Donald Wiebe. I also owe a debt of gratitude to my colleagues working in Jewish Studies who are sympathetic to my argument and have offered encouragement: Zachary Braiterman, Sergey Dolgopolski, Jeremiah Haber, Dana Hollander, Martin Kavka, Shaul Magid, Randi Rashkover, and Elliot R. Wolfson. Finally, I would like to thank Jennifer Hall for her constant support and companionship. Her patience in talking things through, both intellectual and otherwise, means a tremendous amount to me. I am also grateful to senior acquisitions editor Nancy Ellegate at SUNY Press for her encouragement and for seeing this project through to the light of day. ix ...

Share