Peter Metcalf Books

This revised edition of a cross-cultural study of rituals surrounding death has become a standard text in anthropology, sociology and religion.

Explains and explores anthropological ideas, key anthropological thinkers, concepts and themes, and the history of anthropological ideas. The author argues that the issues anthropology deals with are all around us - in magazines, newspapers and on television.

Focusing on the efforts of twentieth-century anthropologists, the book explores the documentation of the religions practiced by independent peoples living outside the influences of the global economy and major world religions. It delves into the methodologies and challenges faced by researchers as they sought to understand and record these unique belief systems, highlighting the significance of cultural preservation in a rapidly changing world.