Myth and Religion in Mircea Eliade

This multidisciplinary study is the first book devoted entirely to the critical interpretation of the writings of Mircea Eliade on myth. One of the most popular and influential historians and theorists of myth, Eliade argued that all myth is religious. Douglas Allen critically interprets Eliade's theories of religion, myth, and symbolism and analyses many of the controversial issues in Eliade's treatment of myth including whether Eliade's approach deals adequately with the relationship between myth and history and how Eliade's anti-modern perspective makes sense of myth in modern culture. A valuable resource for scholars in religious studies, philosophy, anthropology, and history, this book enables readers not only to understand "archaic" and "traditional" religious phenomena, but also to make sense of repressed and sublimated myth dimensions in modern secular life.