Anthropologists have recently discovered Christianity but they still have some difficulty in understanding the ancient Eastern Christian churches that exist apart from the West and its history of colonialism and individualism. A new book represents a challenge to the anthropology of religion, since it has often treated Christianity as embodying Western concepts and practices, such as individualism, in its relation to other cultures and religions.
Richard Cimino is the founder and editor of Religion Watch, a newsletter monitoring trends in contemporary religion. Since January 2008, Religion Watch is published by Religioscope Institute. Website: www.religionwatch.com.