J. Gordon Melton's work is seen as exemplary for American lexicography dealing with living religion. The Encyclopedia of American Religions (fifth edition, 1996) is a model of informative detail, soundness of judgement and objectivity - insofar model also for German research. Its relevance, its pragmatic construction, its sheer joy in collection without any qualms about touching too intimately any form of religion makes it also very interesting for a German readership - above all in the way it presents in an unparalleled way America's religious pluralism free of all clichés. Ecclesiastical history (Kirchenkunde) and research into new religious movements, empirical sociology of religion and descriptive religion science achieve a happy symbiosis here. The German market can offer nothing comparable. The same praise is deserved by Religious Leaders of America (1991), and several other reference books edited and supervised by Melton. The Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology, two volumes (fourth edition, 1996), is by contrast an unripe piece of work which contains many errors of fact. However, its innovative quality lies in its attempt to grasp within the field of academic lexicography to a far greater extent than attempts so far the vast area dealing with occultism and parapsychology. In fundamental survey of German and English, in particular American lexicography of living religion, the different aims an above all the divergent perceptions of religion are documented thematically.

Enthalten in:
Theologische Literaturzeitung; 2000/Nr.7/8 Monatsschrift für das gesamte Gebiet der Theologie und Religionswissenschaft (2000)

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Serie / Reihe: Theologische Literaturzeitung

Personen: Frenschkowski, Marco

Schlagwörter: Gemeinschaft Religion Pluralismus Okkultismus Religionswissenschaft Religionssoziologie Ekklesiologie Lexikographie Melton, J. Gordon Parapsychologie