This collection of essays by David N. Gellner critically re-examines Max Weber's seminal yet often critiqued theories on Asian religions, specifically Buddhism and Hinduism. Moving beyond simply identifying errors, Gellner uses Weber's foundational sociological approach, enriched by extensive ethnographic fieldwork in Nepal and Japan, to explore complex questions within religious anthropology and sociology.

Why You Should Read?

• Engages deeply with Max Weber's influential sociological framework on religion.
• Offers fresh ethnographic insights from Nepal and Japan into Buddhist and Hindu practices.
• Explores critical questions such as the roles of religious specialists and the historical spread of Brahmanical ideals.
• Provides a methodological approach for comparative sociological analysis of religious systems across cultures.