Religion in Context

Religious power assumes many strikingly different forms which are often regarded both by believers and by students of religion as unique, unrelated, and even mutually exclusive. In this book, however, the author argues that to understand the nature of spiritual power we need to appreciate how these apparently contradictory mystical manifestations are in fact part of a single complex of mutually defining and sustaining elements. Professor Lewis illuminates critical aspects of religious power and demonstrates the value of a comparative approach in the formulation of anthropological theory.