Dumont on Religion: Difference, Comparison, Transgression (Key Thinkers in the Study of Religion)

Among French structuralists, Louis Dumont is sometimes regarded as an inferior to the far more celebrated Claude Levi-Strauss. But, in truth Dumont has far more to contribute to the study of religion than his more fashionable contemporary. Notably, his work has informed the specialized field of study in the religions of India, but also more recently the comparative study of modern ideology of the West with the world views of traditional societies. Unlike the recent volumes published on Dumonts work aimed at social anthropologists, this volume identifies kernel ideas of particular interest for the study of religion. Thus, while acknowledging Dumonts technical contribution to kinship studies or his part in the debates over the intricacies of structural theory or his apparent attempts to link idealism and empiricism, this volume focuses on subjects of particular interest to students and scholars of religion: concepts such as sacred and profane, pure and impure, transcendence, values, ideology, hierarchy, and cross cultural comparison. Attention will also be paid to the ethical implications of Dumonts ideas, especially about his preference for hierarchy in social arrangements.