Abridged from the acclaimed Oxford Dictionary of World Religions, this is the most comprehensive and up-to-date dictionary of religion available in paperback. Written by an expert team of contributors, the volume contains over 8,000 entries, an extensive topic index, and an original and in-depth introductory essay. This includes coverage of religions; movements, sects, and cults; texts or books; individuals; sacred sites; ethics; and themes such as prayer and music and dance. It has an extensive topic index groups entries under themes. It also presents an original and in-depth introductory essay on Religion.