Roger Bastide developed the theory of acculturation which provides a framework for understanding contact between different cultures and beliefs. 'Bastide on Religion' offers a clear introduction to the life and work of this influential scholar. The volume focuses on Bastide's study of Afro-Brazilian religions, in particular his study of Candomble, a religion born from the contact between African and Brazilian cultures. The book outlines Bastide's work on acculturation, his concept of the relationship between religion and culture, and his challenge to many dominant approaches to economic development.

Michel Despland is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Religion at Concordia University, Canada.

1. An Intellectual Biography 2. Breaking the Glass and Striking the Rock 3. Symbols, Memory and Anticipation: Sociology from Durkheim to Gurvitch 4. Civilizations Neither Meet Nor Clash; People Do 5. The Three Books on Afro-Brazilian Religions 6. The Paris Career: The World of French Ethnologists 7. Leaving Safe Ground: Acknowledging the Fluidity of Human Interaction 8. Candomblé as Paradigm for Translocal Religion 9. O Sagrado Selvagem as Corner Stone of a Theory of Religion 10. Study of Religion and Sociology of Knowledge 11. The Aesthetic Dimension, or the Black Hen Lays White Eggs