Religions of Korea in practice /

Buswell and contributors have produced a sorely needed addition to the "Princeton Readings in Religion" series. Like other volumes in the series, this work does not provide a lengthy narrative introduction to the religions it treats. Following a pithy introductory essay by Don Baker, the work presents a series of primary text translations covering a wide range of Korean religious experience. The volume is quite comprehensive, with entries covering the range of Korea's literate past, from the classical to modern periods. It includes numerous entries on Buddhism and Christianity, as is appropriate given their importance. But the volume also covers shamanism, Confucianism, and the new religious movements; it even offers an essay dealing with the religious implications of North Korea's "self-reliance" (chuche) ideology. The works translated include a variety of religious works, from ritual texts and liturgy to translations of oral texts, such as shamanic chants. Unlike the religions of other East Asian regions, Korea's have not been well documented, with few resources available to scholars teaching in this area. This work provides an unprecedented collection of primary textual materials on Korean religions, and thus is an extremely valuable resource for the study of these traditions. Summing Up: Essential. Lower-level undergraduates through faculty/researchers. D. B. Gray Santa Clara University