In a world of sound bites and short attention spans, finding useful books which offer a quick but coherent view of a myriad of subjects related to a particular topic is a boon. The Dictionary of Contemporary Religion in the Western world attempts to be just such a resource, introducing readers to authoritative but brief discussions of topics related to religion in an increasingly pluralistic world.

The book represents an attempt to meet the needs of Christians in general, and students, pastors, teachers and other practitioners in particular, who are seeking to engage a shifting religious culture. The motivation for the book grows out of a recognition that we live in philosophically and sociologically different times than a generation ago. Subsequently, we need to better understand the people we work with, and live alongside as neighbours.

This is an ambitious project, and the editor has recruited a diverse cohort of ‘conservative’ authors to cover a variety of topics that are grouped into two sections. (One may question to what degree a few of the authors might wish to be identified by this label, though most are unarguably evangelical.) The first section represents general articles presented in alphabetical order, from ‘Blasphemy’ to ‘Secularisation’, and contains some very helpful articles by authors such as Paul Helm and David Lyon, on the study of Religion, Modern and Postmodern Culture, Religion and Philosophy, Religion and Sociology, and so on. I wonder whether an alphabetical ordering of articles is the most helpful structure for the first section, though to be fair, few people, like reviewers, would read a dictionary from beginning to end, and there are very good indices to direct readers to the sections most relevant to their concerns. There is some repetition of material insofar as a number of authors recount in similar fashion the accepted shift from modern to postmodern culture, and this section is most definitely ‘western’ in its view: despite attempts to address ‘religion’ more broadly than ‘Christianity’, only a few authors succeed. In this sense, the book is most interesting as a window into how evangelicals, at the cusp of cultural change are attempting to account for, and address the issues raised by this transition.

In part 2, the editor has grouped together articles on particular religious sects, or religious movements, from ‘Atheism’ to (predictably) ‘Zoroastrianism’. As introductions to Buddhism in its multifarious forms, or New Religious Movements in general and particular, these articles provide very useful overviews of specific religious, and offer helpful bibliographies for those who need to dig deeper.

Although no such source can be exhaustive in its scope, it was surprising that a few issues were not addressed more directly, such as easternisation of the West (a contemporary topic in religion); the issue of establishment in the discussion of Religion and politics; the topic of Religion and women generally rather than feminism specifically; wicca was mentioned under ‘Esoteric Religion’ and ‘Paganism’, but its popularity could have merited its own article. A few bibliographies missed what I would consider essential sources for students seeking to write a paper in a given area. Perhaps the mix of American and British authors explains some of these concerns, as the religious context in Europe is very different from that in North America.

Overall, this is very much an account of religion in the contemporary western world. In a fast-paced, rapidly moving culture, it provides a place to pause and take the religious pulse of our present context. While a resource that attempts to do this may prove quickly outdated, it stands as an important marker nonetheless. I commend it as a resourceful guide. It is a brave project to have taken on before the cultural dust has settled—and maybe never will.

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