Saints, Heroes, Myths, and Rites: Classical Durkheimian Studies of Religion and Society

Six essays by Mauss, Henri Hubert, and Robert Hertz, all students or colleagues of sociology French pioneer Emile Durkheim (1858-1917) represent some of the earliest contributions to the sociology of religion. They cover myths, art and myth according to Wilhelm Wundt; preface to Saint Patrick and the Cult of the Hero; religious polarity; the collective representation of death; and the Alpine cult of Saint Besse. The essays are edited and translated by Alexander Riley (cultural sociology, Bucknell U., Pennsylvania), Sara Daynes (sociology, U. of North Carolina-Greensboro), and Cyril Isnart (anthropology, U. of Provence). They have not indexed the anthology. Annotation c2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)