Man, Meaning, and Mystery: 100 Years of History of Religions in Norway. the Heritage of W. Brede Kristensen (Man, Meaning, and Mysterynumen Book Series: Studies on the Histories of Religions, 87)

This volume deals with the situation in the academic study of religion at the turn of the last century, focusing especially on the founding fathers of the subject in the Scandinavian countries. An attempt is also made to compare the study of religion now with the situation 100 years ago. Contents......Page 6 Contributors......Page 10 Introduction......Page 14 PART ONE: HISTORY OF RELIGIONS IN EUROPE TOWARDS THE END OF THE 19TH CENTURY......Page 24 Explaining Modern Facts by Past Religions: The Study of Religions in Europe Around the Year 1900......Page 26 At the Cross-Roads: Early Dutch Science of Religion in International Perspective......Page 42 Neoprotestantism in Stockholm in 1897......Page 80 PART TWO: W.B. KRISTENSEN AND THE STUDY OF THE ANCIENT RELIGIONS......Page 94 The Study of the Avesta and its Religion Around the Year 1900 and Today......Page 96 Lieblein, Kristensen and Schencke and the Quest for Egyptian Monotheism......Page 124 W. Brede Kristensen and the Religions of Greece and Rome......Page 138 W. Brede Kristensen's Concept "Life out of Death"......Page 154 PART THREE: PHENOMENOLOGY OF RELIGION: PROGRAMME AND PROBLEM......Page 178 Modern Understanding of Ancient Insight: Distinctive Contributions of W.B. Kristensen's Phenomenology of Religion......Page 180 Phenomenology of Religion versus Anthropology of Religion? The "Groningen School" 1920-1990......Page 196 The Phenomenology of Religion: An Ideal and its Problems......Page 214 PART FOUR: SCANDINAVIAN PIONEERS OF HISTORY OF RELIGIONS......Page 226 From Kristiansand to Leiden: The Norwegian Career of W. Brede Kristensen......Page 228 Wilhelm Schencke—Norway's First Professor in History of Religions......Page 246 The Introduction of History of Religions as an Academic Discipline in Denmark......Page 260 PART FIVE: HISTORY OF RELIGIONS TOWARDS THE END OF THE 20TH CENTURY......Page 276 Progress in Research on Meanings in Religions (1898-1998)......Page 278 William Brede Kristensen: A Bibliography......Page 310 B......Page 318 G......Page 319 J......Page 320 M......Page 321 R......Page 322 U......Page 323 Z......Page 324 Introduction / Sigurd Hjelde -- Explaining Modern Facts By Past Religions: The Study Of Religions In Europe Around The Year 1900 / Hans G. Kippenberg -- At The Cross-roads: Early Dutch Science Of Religion In International Perspective / Arie L. Molendijk -- Neoprotestantism In Stockholm In 1897 / Bjorn Skogar -- The Study Of The Avesta And Its Religion Around The Year 1900 And Today / Anders Hultgard -- Lieblein, Kristensen And Schencke And The Quest For Egyptian Monotheism / Saphinaz-amal Naguib -- W. Brede Kristensen And The Religions Of Greece And Rome / Jan N. Bremmer -- W. Brede Kristensen's Concept Life Out Of Death / Jens E. Braarvig -- Modern Understanding Of Ancient Insight: Distinctive Contributions Of W.b. Kristensen's Phenomenology Of Religion / John B. Carman -- Phenomenology Of Religion Versus Anthropology Of Religion? The Groningen School 1920-1990 / Willem Hofstee -- The Phenomenology Of Religion: An Ideal And Its Problems / Ingvild Saelid Gilhus. Edited By Sigurd Hjelde. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [287]-294) And Index. At an international symposium in Norway, the 100 years' anniversary of the academic study of religion was celebrated. This volume contains the papers that were presented at this conference. A major part of the papers deals with the situation of this discipline around the turn of the last century, focussing especially on the work of the Dutch-Norwegian scholar W. Brede Kristensen (1867-1953) and on other founding fathers in the Scandinavian countries. Other contributors discuss methodological questions relating to the idea of a phenomenology of religion. Furthermore, an attempt is made to compare the study of religion at the end of the twentieth century with the situation a hundred years earlier, and to trace some of the lines of development. The book includes a bibliography of publications by W. Brede Kristensen. The contributions to this conference report deal with the academic study of religion in a historical perspective, focussing on W. Brede Kristensen and other Scandinavian pioneers. Also, methodological questions relating to the idea of a phenomenology of religion are discussed.