Religija

This book analyzes the Russian 19th-century discourse on the Orient as a field where the conceptual foundations of contemporary understandings of religion evolved. In case studies on the reception of Islam, Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, and Shamanism with a focus on the first half of the century it traces the formation of key terms and concepts of the language that served to describe religions. Of special interest are the emergence of generic concepts of religion and the history of the term ‘religion’. The study draws on sources from genres such as Oriental Studies, literature, travelogs, and journalism. With its interdisciplinary perspective it contributes to Religious Studies, Russian Studies, and the cultural history of the Russian Empire.