2010–2014

Balancing the world. Contemporary Maya ajq'ijab in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala
Daniel Croles Fitjar
Peter Lang 2014

In this book, the author illuminates what an ajq’ij, or «daykeeper», is by presenting material he collected in a series of interviews with practitioners of Maya spirituality. Frequently labeled as Maya priests, shamans, spiritual guides, or even witches, the men and women called ajq’ijab do a variety of work to help their visitors, their ancestors, the spirits and the world itself. Nine interviewees from the Quetzaltenango area in the Guatemalan highlands tell about how they cure and avert illness, perform divinations, communicate with the ancestors and do their part in balancing the world. Most of them agree that they have been chosen for this responsibility and they see it as both a gift and a burden.

Banaras revisited. Scholarly pilgrimages to the City of Light
István Keul (ed.)
Harrassowitz 2014

In this book, scholars from various disciplines talk about their research in a city that has been described as a veritable microcosm of India: multifaceted, complex, vibrant, and full of contradictions. The themes range from the sensory aesthetics of everyday life to the history of the Marathas in Banaras; from Harishchandra, the 'father' of modern Hindi, to the 'tribals' of Nagwa; from the architecture of the ghats to the works of the Austrian writers Zweig and Winkler; from ‘informative relationships’ with research assistants to the mediatization of goddesses; from reflections on public education to a contemporary literary chronicler of Assi; from 'colonial ghosts' in the 1950s to present-day Western travelers. In addition to its thematic diversity, the volume benefits from another strong asset: the voices of its contributors, clearly audible in reflexive passages and personal vignettes that make the essays a useful reading also for undergraduates considering fieldwork in Banaras or elsewhere.

Sex and religion. Teachings and taboos in the history of world faiths. (English edition)
Sex og religion. Fra jomfruball til hellig homosex. (Norwegian)
Seksot i religijata (Macedonian).
Xìng yu zongjiào. Shìjiè xìnyang shishàng de xìntiáo yu jìnjì (Chinese)
Sexo e religião. Do baile de virgens ao sexo sagrado homossexual. (Portuguese)
Seksat i religijata. (Bulgarian)
Tra sesso e castità. Un viaggio fra dogmi e tabù nelle religioni del mondi. (Italian)
Seks a religia. Od balu dziewic po święty seks homoseksualny. (Polish)
Sex och religion. Från kyskhetsbal till heligt homosex. (Swedish)
Seks i religija. (Serbian)
Dag Øistein Endsjø
Reaktion Books 2011
Universitetsforlaget 2009
Skopje: Bata Press 2014
Beijing: Social Sciences Academic Press 2014
São Paulo: Geração 2014
Sofia: Perseus 2012
Roma: Odoya 2012
Warszawa: Czarna Owca 2011
Stockholm: Norstedts Förlag 2011
Beograd: Karpos 2010

Sex and religion are inevitably and intricately linked. There are few realms of human experience other than sex in which religion has greater reach and influence. The role of religion, of any faith, to prohibit, regulate, condemn, and reward, is unavoidably prominent in questions of sex – namely when, how, why, and with whom. The book examines the myriad and complex religious attitudes towards sex in cultures throughout the world.

The book is published in English (2011), Norwegian (2009), Macedonian (2014), Bulgarian (2012), Chinese (2014), Italian (2012), Polish (2011), Portuguese (2014), Serbian (2010), and Swedish (2011).

Objects of worship in South Asian religions. Forms, practices and meanings
Knut A. Jacobsen, Mikael Aktor & Kristina Myrvold (ed.)
Routledge 2014

This book looks at how objects of worship dominate the religious landscape of South Asia, and in what ways they are of significance not just from religious perspectives but also for the social life of the region. It discusses how devotees relate to such objects in a number of ways, and even if the objects belong to various traditions they may attract people from different communities and can also be contested in various ways.

Povel Resens beskrivelser av forholdene i de samiske områdene (1706-1708)
Anders Løøv, Margrethe Løøv & Åke Junge
Saemien Sijte 2014

I dette sjette bindet av skriftserien publiseres de eldste dokumentene til nå i denne skriftserien Dovletje – kildeskrifter til sørsamisk historie – utgjør Povel Resens transkriberte reisejournal og to «relasjoner» hovedparten. Resens skrifter stammer fra første tiår på 1700-tallet. Dokumentene inneholder den eldste kjente sammenhengende skildring av sørsamiske forhold og byr på mange opplysninger.

Micro-Level Analyses of the Qur’ân
Håkan Rydving (red.)
Uppsala University Library 2014
Også med: Mona Farstad, Gerd Marie Ådna o.a.

The contributions to this book exemplify various possibilities of micro-level analysis of the Qur’ân. From a close reading of qur’ânic passages interpreted with the help other parts of the Qur’ân, to a various approaches that look beyond the Qur’ân itself and explore Muslim interpretative traditions, or rhetoric in the analysis of the qur'ânic text, through to approaches that compare medieval Muslim interpretation with modern hermeneutics, and  that place modern Muslim interpretations in relation to applications of qur’ânic text passages in everyday life.

Religion i skrift. Mellom mystikk og materialitet.
Ingvild Sælid Gilhus & Lisbeth Mikaelsson (red.)
Universitetsforlaget 2013
Også med: Christian H. Bull, Marianne Bøe, Gina Dahl, Dag Øistein Endsjø, Mona Helen Farstad, Siv Ellen Kraft, Liv Ingeborg Lied, Hugo Lundhaug og Einar Thomassen

Flesteparten av tekstene med størst og lengst virkningshistorie i verden er religiøse. Både individer og samfunn formes av religiøse tekster gjennom mangfoldige, kryssende prosesser. Siden hellige tekster er forbundet med makt, autoritet og identitet, autoriserer de regler for tro og livsførsel og legitimerer sosiale hierarkier. Samtidig er de også kilder til erkjennelse, tro og fromhet, og har ofte høy estetisk verdi.

New age spirituality. Rethinking religion.
Steven J. Sutcliffe & Ingvild Sælid Gilhus (red.)
Acumen Publishing 2013
Også med: Siv Ellen Kraft, Lisbeth Mikaelsson o.a.

This book examines New Age spirituality as a form of everyday or lived religion. The book brings together an international range of scholars to explore the key issues insight, healing, divination, meditation, gnosis, extraordinary experiences, and interactions with gods, spirits, and superhuman powers. Combining discussion of contemporary beliefs and practices with cutting-edge theoretical analysis, the book repositions New Age spirituality at the forefront of the contemporary study of religion.

Brill’s Encyclopedia of Hinduism. Volume V. Symbolism, diaspora, modern groups and teachers.
Knut Axel Jacobsen et al. (red.)
Brill Academic Publishers 2013

This volume covers religious symbols ranging from gemstones and mudras to sacred threads and vihanas. A section devoted to diaspora communities offers an up-to-date overview of main centers of Hinduism outside of South Asia, The topic of modern Hindu religious movements and teachers is examined in the comprehensive last section, with articles on the Art of Living Foundation, ISKCON, and the Theosophical Society as well as Gandhi, Vivekananda, and Anandamayi Ma, among many others.

Jainismen. Religion, historie og ikkevold.
Knut Axel Jacobsen
Cappelen Damm Akademisk 2013

Jainismen er en av verdens eldste nålevende religioner. Den stammer fra India og er framfor alt ikkevoldens religion. Sentrale temaer er måtehold, forsakelse, streng askese, vakker estetikk og respekt for alt levende. Religionen bemerker seg med sin klare forståelse av karma, og med en filosofi som vektlegger virkelighetens mangesidige natur. Jainismens teorier om karma og toleranse var en viktig kilde for Mahatma Gandhis ikkevoldslære. Også Gandhis bruk av faste for å dempe konfliktnivået i samfunnet har slektskap med jainismens ritualer og dens lære om matens betydning.

“Yogini” in South Asia. Interdisciplinary approaches.
István Keul (red.)
Routledge 2013

This book discusses the medieval yogini cult, as illustrated in early Shaiva tantric texts, and their representations in South Asian temple iconography. It looks at the roles and hypostases of yoginis in contemporary religious traditions, as well as the transformations of yogini-related ritual practices. In addition, this book systematizes the multiple meanings, and proposes definitions of the concept and models for integrating the semantic fields of “yogini.”

Words and varieties. Lexical variation in Saami.
Håkan Rydving
Helsinki: Finno-Ugrian Society 2013

The study of the linguistic geography of Saami has mainly been based on phonological and morphological criteria. This study takes another approach, though, and discusses spatial variation in Saami from the point of view of lexicon. The point of departure is the assumption that when the share of common lexemes decreases between two localities, the difficulties in understanding increase. From this point of view, a simple measure of the communicative relation between two localities is the size of the shared vocabulary, and it is just such a comparison of vocabularies that is undertaken in this book.

Defining magic. A reader.
Michael Stausberg & Bernd-Christian Otto (red.)
Equinox Publishing 2013

Magic has been an important term in Western history and continues to be an essential topic in the modern academic study of religion, anthropology, sociology, and cultural history. Defining Magic is the first volume to assemble key texts that aim at determining the nature of magic, establish its boundaries and key features, and explain its working. The reader brings together seminal writings from antiquity to today.

Det gamle Egypt. Myter og rituelle skrifter.
Pål Steiner (red.)
Bokklubben 2013

Oversettelse og presentasjon av en rekke hellige tekster fra det gamle Egypt.

Mystery and secrecy in the Nag Hammadi Collection and other ancient Literature. Ideas and practices. Studies for Einar Thomassen at Sixty.
Christian Bull, Liv Ingeborg Lied & John D. Turner (red.)
Brill 2012
Også med: Jonas Bjørnebye, Hugo Lundhaug o.a.

Mystery and secrecy were central concepts in the ritual, rhetoric, and sociological stratification of antique Mediterranean religions. That the ultimate nature and workings of the divine were secret, and either could not or should not be revealed except as a mystery for the initiated, was widely accepted among Pagans, Jews, and then Christians, both Gnostic and otherwise. The similarities and differences in the language of mystery and secrecy across religious and cultural borders are thus crucial for understanding this important period of the history of religions.

Nytt blikk på religion. Studiet av religion idag. (norsk utgave)
Nya perspektiv på religion. (svensk)
Ingvild Sælid Gilhus & Lisbeth Mikaelsson
Pax Forlag 2012 (2. utg).
Natur och kultur 2003

Hva er egentlig religionsvitenskap? Hva omfatter faget? Hvor har det beveget seg fra starten? Hva slags kunnskap og hvilke innsikter har faget utviklet og hvilken innflytelse har det hatt? Disse og mange andre spørsmål tar forfatterne opp, mens de ser kritisk på gamle underforståtte premisser som tradisjonelt har påvirket faget. Forfatterne ser på religionen «på en nærsynt måte», som en avgrenset størrelse, og «med vidvinkel», som integrert i en større kulturell kontekst.

Pilgrimage in the Hindu tradition. Salvific space.
Knut Axel Jacobsen
Routledge 2012

Salvific space is one of the central ideas in the Hindu traditions of pilgrimage, and concerns the ability of space, especially sites associated with bodies of water such as rivers and lakes, to grant salvific rewards. Focusing on religious, historical and sociological questions about the phenomenon, this book investigates the narratives, rituals, history and structures of salvific space, and looks at how it became a central feature of Hinduism.

Yoga powers. Extraordinary capacities attained through meditation and concentration.
Knut Axel Jacobsen (red.)
Brill Academic Publishers 2012

A neglected topic in the research on yoga and meditation traditions, the extraordinary capacities called yoga powers are at the core of the religious imagination in the history of religions in South Asia. Yoga powers explained the divine, the highest gods were thought of as great yogins, and since major religious traditions considered their attainment as an inevitable part of the salvific process the textual traditions had to provide rational analyses of the powers. The essays of the book provide a number of new insights in the yoga powers and their history, position and function in the Hindu, Buddhist and Jain traditions, in classical Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Tantra and Shaiva textual traditions, in South Asian medieval and modern hagographies, and in some contemporary yoga traditions.

Brill’s Encyclopedia of Hinduism. Volume IV. Historical perspectives, poets, teachers, and saints, relation to other religions and traditions; Hinduism and contemporary issues.
Knut Axel Jacobsen et al. (red.)
Brill Academic Publishers 2012

This volume presents a historical overview of Hinduism, covering significant periods from the Indus Civilization to contemporary India. In addition, the volume features more than 30 biographies dedicated to important figures of pre-19th century religious poets, teachers, and saints, alphabetically arranged. Special attention is given to the interchanges between Hinduism and other religions and traditions, and a separate section examines the connections between Hinduism and contemporary issues such as ethics, ecology, the Internet, tourism, and New Age spirituality.

Sikhs across borders. Transnational practices of European Sikhs.
Knut Axel Jacobsen & Kritina Myrvold (red.)
Continuum / Bloomsbury 2012

This is the first study to explore patterns of transnational practices among European Sikhs, with particular focus on the links between the Sikhs in Europe, Punjab (the “home-land”) and within a global Sikh community. The book illustrates how local and transnational spheres coexist and interact in a multitude of social and cultural practices and discourses among European Sikhs past and present.

Transformations and transfer of tantra in Asia and beyond.
István Keul (red.)
Walter de Gruyter 2012

The essays in this volume, written by specialists working in the field of tantric studies, attempt to trace processes of transformation and transfer that occurred in the history of tantra from around the seventh century and up to the present. The volume gathers contributions on South Asia, Tibet, China, Mongolia, Japan, North America, and Western Europe by scholars from various academic disciplines, who present ongoing research and encourage discussion on significant themes in the growing field of tantric studies. In addition to the extensive geographical and temporal range, the chapters of the volume cover a wide thematic area, which includes modern Bengali tantric practitioners, tantric ritual in medieval China, the South Asian cults of the mother goddesses, the way of Buddhism into Mongolia, and countercultural echoes of contemporary tantric studies.

Perspectivas del norte. Cinco textos sobre la lengua y la cultura de los samis.
Håkan Rydving
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México 2012

Cuando nos preguntamos por qué es importante publicar en México un libro sobre los samis, habitantes del círculo polar ártico, debemos responder, en primer lugar, que la falta de información sobre su historia y su cultura es por sí misma un motivo suficiente para buscar la divulgación de su conocimiento; en segundo lugar, que el estudio de la cultura sami puede servir de contrapunto para el entendimiento de los procesos culturales que han afectado a los pueblos de nuestra América. Consideramos, además, que el principal aporte de Perspectivas del norte es de orden metodológico, pues aun quienes no se encuentren particularmente interesados en los samis podrán descubrir en la obra de Rydving un novedoso enfoque transdisciplinario que conjuga la historia y la lingüística en un intento por comprender la complejidad de los procesos de transformación cultural.

Religionswissenschaft
Michael Stausberg
Walter de Gruyter 2012

What constitutes the field of religious studies? The 29 chapters in this introductory text offer an incisive look at the key approaches, methods, problems, and subjects that define contemporary academic research in the field of religious studies at universities in the German-speaking world.

Det folk vil ha. Religion og populærkultur.
Dag Øistein Endsjø & Liv Ingeborg Lied
Universitetsforlaget 2011

Religion gir mening i Disneyland og Prada-reklamer, i Istid-filmene og Melodi Grand Prix. Religiøse ytringer som prioriteres og foredles i populærkulturen er ytringer der visuelle, emosjonelle og fascinerende sider ved religion fremelskes, og hvor stemninger og opplevelser aksentueres, mens dogmatisk korrekthet og læremessig koherens nedvurderes. Kan det tenkes at religiøsiteten og den kreative utøvelsen og omformingen av religion har flyttet fra den organiserte religionenes sfære og inn i andre samfunnssfærer?

Brill’s Encyclopedia of Hinduism. Volume III. Society, religious specialists, religious traditions, philosophy.
Knut A. Jacobsen et al. (red.)
Brill Academic Publishers 2011

This volume deals broadly with Hindu society. Readers will find articles on caste, family, age, and gender, as well as on religious specialists such as gurus, sadhus, healers, and astrologers. Religious traditions, presented in alphabetical order from Aghoris and Bauls to Vaikhanasa and Varkari Sampraday, feature prominently as one of the anchor sections. Another major section presents a thorough examination of Hindu philosophical traditions, including history, branches, and contemporary aspects.

Verdensreligioner i Norge
Knut A. Jacobsen (red.)
Universitetsforlaget 2011 (3. utg.)

Boken presenterer buddhistiske, hinduistiske, islamske, jødiske og kristne sammenslutninger i Norge. Den skildrer hvordan verdsreligionene blir praktisert her i landet, og viser det store mangfaldet av religiøse tradisjoner og ritualer knyttet til hver av religionene. Boken gir også statistikk over hver enkelt religions medlemmer, geografisk utbredelse og hvor de har sine hellige steder. Hvert kapittel har en innlednng som setter religionene inn i et verdensperspektiv.

Sikhs in Europe. Migration, identities and representations.
Knut A. Jacobsen & Kristina Myrvold (red.)
Ashgate 2011

Sikhs in Europe are neglected in the study of religions and migrant groups: previous studies have focused on the history, culture and religious practices of Sikhs in North America and the UK, but few have focused on Sikhs in continental Europe. This book fills this gap, presenting new data and analyses of Sikhs in eleven European countries; examining the broader European presence of Sikhs in new and old host countries. Focusing on patterns of migration, transmission of traditions, identity construction and cultural representations from the perspective of local Sikh communities, this book explores important patterns of settlement, institution building and cultural transmission among European Sikhs.

Religion and tourism. Crossroads, destinations, and encounters. (English edition)
Religion im modernen Tourismus. (German)
Michael Stausberg.
Routledge 2011
Verlag der Weltreligionen 2010

This book explores the dynamic interaction between religion and tourism in the modern world. It considers questions such as: Do travelers leave their religion at home when they are touring – and what happens if not? What are the relationships between tourism and pilgrimage? And what happens to religious performances, places and festivals that function as tourism attractions?

The Routledge handbook of research methods in the study of religion.
Michael Stausberg & Steven Engler (red.)
Routledge 2011

This is the first comprehensive survey in English of research methods in the field of religious studies. It is designed to enable non-specialists and students at upper undergraduate and graduate levels to understand the variety of research methods used in the field. The aim is to create awareness of the relevant methods currently available and to stimulate an active interest in exploring unfamiliar methods.

Manikeiske skrifter
Einar Thomassen (red.)
Bokklubben 2011

Manikeer! For katolikkene ble betegnelsen et skjellsord for alle slags religiøse avvikere. Men manikeismen var en gang en stor religion, spredt over tre verdensdeler. I mer enn 1000 år var manikeismen en betydelig religion som gjorde seg gjeldende både i Nord-Afrika, Europa og Asia. Den oppsto i Mesopotamia på 200-tallet, og, som islam noen hundreår senere, hadde den en personlig stifter: Mani.

Hermes Trismegistos. Gresk-egyptiske visdomstekster.
Christian Bull (red.)
Bokklubben 2010

Hermetiske tekster rommer gammel egyptisk visdom, inkludert astrologi, magi og alkymi. Hvordan kunne disse skriftene få så stor innflytelse på senere trosretninger?

Oldtidens religioner. Midtøstens og Middelhavsområdets religioner.
Ingvild Sælid Gilhus & Einar Thomassen
Pax Forlag 2010

I det romerske keiserrike fantes ulike religiøse impulser og praksiser side om side i et fargerikt livssynsmarked som kan minne forbløffende om vår egen tid. Fortellingene om de greske gudene og heltene har levd videre som del av vår felles kulturelle hukommelse gjennom hele Europas historie fram til i dag. Egypts pyramider og mumier utøver stadig sin mystiske tiltrekningskraft på vår tids mennesker. Babylons porter og ziggurater vekker i oss vage erindringer om en sivilisasjon bakenfor bibelhistorien.

Hinduismen (norsk utgave)
Hinduismen. Historia, tradition, mångfald (svensk)
Knut A. Jacobsen
Pax Forlag 2010 (2. utg.).
Stockholm: Natur och Kultur 2004

Hinduismen er en pluralistisk, tolerant og spesielt fargerik og kompleks religiøs tradisjon. Den er både en rituell praksis og en av menneskehetens største religiøse kunnskapstradisjoner. Hinduismen har i perioder vært bærer av en av verdens store sivilisasjonar, den indiske, og de fleste av religionens snart en milliard tilhengarere lever også idag i Sør-Asia (India, Sri Lanka og Nepal). Boken gir en historisk innføring i denne egenartede religionens mangfold av uttrykksformer.

Brill’s Encyclopedia of Hinduism. Volume II. Sacred texts and languages, ritual traditions, arts, concepts.
Knut A. Jacobsen et al. (red.)
Brill Academic Publishers 2010

This volume builds upon the first volume by examining the sacred languages of Hinduism and its major religious texts, literary genres, and scholarly traditions as well as the vernaculars. It further explores the ritual traditions, including domestic rituals, mantras, and intoxication. In addition, performance and the arts such as martial arts, dance, and film feature prominently. The last section extensively investigates the meaning, connotations, and use of some forty leading concepts like karman, the self, renunciation, asceticism, meditation, and liberation.

Bioetikk i verdensreligionene. Religion, medisin og teknologisk endring.
Knut A. Jacobsen (red.)
Abstrakt forlag 2010

Dette er den første boken på norsk som avdekker både forskjeller i bioetiske synspunkter mellom de store verdens religionene og mangfoldet av synspunkter innenfor hver enkelt religion. Bioetikk er en systematisk respons på medisinsk-teknologiske utfordringer vedrørende bruk av embryoer og fostre i medisinsk forskning, abort, assistert befruktning, kloning, genterapi, organdonasjon, kunstig forlengelse av livet til alvorlig hjerneskadde, aktiv og passiv dødshjelp, verdig død, med mer.

Tracing Sami traditions. In search of the indigenous religion among the Western Sami during the 17th and 18th centuries.
Håkan Rydving
Novus Forlag 2010

Do we know anything about the indigenous religion of the Western Sami during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries? In fact, there are several types of sources at hand, and this book discusses the most important of them. Thus, it proposes a terminology for the places of sacrifice, argues that any interpretation of the figures on Sami drums must be based on the preserved explanations of the owners, presents a hypothesis concerning the interrelations and geographical distribution of the accounts written by missionaries, and gives examples of how terminologies, dialect geography, and place names can be used to supplement other sources.

Samer som «de andra», samer om «de andra». Identitet och etnicitet i nordiska kulturmöten.
Else Mundal og Håkan Rydving (red.)
Umeå universitet 2010

Artikkelsamling om forståelsen av samer som de andre blant andre europeiske folkeslag og om hvordan samisk forståelser av ikke-samer har bidratt til å forme deres egen identitet.

Canon and canonicity. The formation and use of scripture.
Einar Thomassen (red.)
Museum Tusculanums Forlag 2010
Også med: Ingvild Sælid Gilhus, Karstein Hopland, Lisbeth Mikaelsson o.a.

The authority of the Bible is one of the defining features of Christianity. However, the origins of the Biblical canon, both as an idea and as a composition still pose many unresolved questions and the nature of the Bible’s authority, including the many ways in which that authority has been tapped throughout history, are important and vast areas of investigation. The essays in this book discuss such crucial issues as the history of the formation of the biblical canon

L’interprétation de la gnose (NH XI,1)
Einar Thomassen, Louis Painchaud & Wolf-Peter Funk
Peeters Publishers 2010

On s’est plu à imaginer les auteurs gnostiques comme des solitaires misanthropes et leurs oeuvres, comme le résultat d’un prurit d’écrire cause par leur haine du monde et des hommes. Ce livre révèle un auteur soucieux de la vie d’une communauté aux prises avec des divisions nées, du moins a ses yeux, de la jalousie. Dans le but de remédier à cette situation, il cherche à persuader son destinataire de la nécessité de supporter les épreuves comme le Christ crucifie l’a fait.

Romersk religion. Verdens hellige skrifter.
Sissel Undheim (red.)
Bokklubben 2010

Romersk religion var Romas religion – uløselig knyttet til byen og dens historie. Mangfold er det som best karakteriserer det religiøse livet i antikkens Roma. De hadde utallige guder ved siden av de kjente størrelsene som Jupiter, Mars, Janus, Diana og Neptun som ble dyrket i templer og helligdommer innenfor og utenfor Romas bymurer frem til inngangen til det femte århundre, da kristendommen var blitt den eneste religionen som var tillatt. Kulturelle og religiøse impulser fra de nye områdene romerne la under seg tilførte stadig nye innslag og farget den religiøse aktiviteten. I dette bindet får du utdrag fra storverk av Vergil, Horats og Ovid sammen med en rekke nyoversatte tekster.