The Encyclopedia of Religion, Volume 14

Published in 1987 by Macmillan Publishing Company under the general editorship of Mircea Eliade, The Encyclopedia of Religion was conceived as a comprehensive scholarly reference work for the systematic and comparative study of the world’s religious traditions. Volume 14 continues this project through an extensive collection of alphabetically arranged articles covering subjects from the latter part of the letter S through T. 

The volume begins with the continuation of the article “Spells,” examining magical formulas, spoken or written words, ritual language, and their functions in different religious and cultural contexts. It then proceeds through a wide spectrum of topics relating to religious experience, philosophy, ritual, spirituality, sacred objects, symbolism, religious communities, and scholarly approaches to religion.

Among the subjects represented are spells, spirit possession, spiritual discipline, spiritual guides, spirituality, Sri Vaiṣṇavism, stars, stones, structuralism, and the study of religion. The treatment of these subjects combines historical description with comparative analysis. Articles frequently move across religious traditions and geographical regions, examining the ways similar concepts or practices acquire different meanings in Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, Judaism, Islam, indigenous traditions, and other religious cultures. The volume also includes substantial biographical entries on influential religious thinkers and philosophers such as Herbert Spencer, Baruch Spinoza, Rudolf Steiner, and Theodore Stcherbatsky. 

A particularly important feature is the extensive entry “Study of Religion,” which examines the historical development of religious studies and its methodological, academic, and comparative dimensions. Other major articles, such as those on spiritual discipline and spiritual guidance, demonstrate the encyclopedia’s cross-cultural approach by comparing practices and concepts across multiple religious systems. 

Each major contribution is supported by bibliographical references, making the volume not merely an encyclopedia of definitions but also a scholarly gateway to further research. Volume 14 therefore provides an important reference resource for scholars of religious studies, comparative religion, philosophy, anthropology, history, and Buddhist studies.