"As the new millennium approaches the sacred and profane interface, conflict, and intermingle in novel ways. The Encyclopedia of Religion and Society provides a guide map for these developments. From succinct, brief notes to essay-length entries, this encyclopedia covers world religions, religious perspectives on political and social issues, and religious leaders and scholars - past and present - in the United States and the world. This comprehensive volume is an essential reference for the study of the anthropology, psychology, politics, or sociology of religion. "--BOOK JACKET.