The Encyclopedia of Religion, Volume 16

Published in 1987 under the editorship of the distinguished historian of religions Mircea Eliade, The Encyclopedia of Religion represents one of the major twentieth-century reference projects in the academic study of religion. Volume 16 occupies a distinctive position within the series because its principal purpose is scholarly orientation, classification, indexing, and cross-reference.

Its organization reflects two complementary approaches to knowledge. The Alphabetical List of Entries offers direct access to individual subjects, while the Synoptic Outline of Contents allows readers to examine the encyclopedia conceptually and comparatively. The comprehensive index extends this function by connecting themes that appear across different religious traditions and academic disciplines.

The volume is also significant for documenting the encyclopedia's scholarly network through its extensive directory of contributors. Scholars represented in the project come from universities and research institutions across numerous countries and disciplines, illustrating the explicitly international and interdisciplinary character of the encyclopedia. The concluding Corrigenda further demonstrates the editors' concern for bibliographical and scholarly accuracy by identifying corrections and additions to material appearing in earlier volumes.