A History of Religion in 5½ Objects: Bringing the Spiritual to Its Senses Paperback – March 10, 2015

Dr. Plate brings religion to a place where we can see/smell/touch it so that we can be reminded that our God, however s/he is named, is here in our everyday lives, available.

Great for any biblical library. Anyone who is insterested in religion will certainly care for this book. Easy to read but is not large print.

One of the best books I have ever read. Part of my morning meditative reading

Excellent for open-minded Christians. Other Christians may take offense at the author's way of comparing Christian symbols with sacred objects from other religions. People who practice these other traditions may just wonder what his point is.

Not a great subject, but good book

A religion professor looks at a variety of religious traditions -- Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, etc. -- through their use several objects: stones, incense, drums, crosses, and bread. His ideas are fascinating to a former Religion major like me, thought provoking, wide ranging, and perhaps a little meandering. For anyone who wants a deeper understanding of the religious impulse and its investment in objects in the world.

The book minimizes the truth of religion, particularly Judaism and Christianity by approaching them as a generic anthropological study which can be stripped down to basic objects used as cheap talismans. It is similar to the Communist view that religion is a placebo so they are interchangeable and people involved in them can be pacified by shiny (pre-deified) objects. It is also boring and tedious to read.

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I really enjoyed this book and learnt a lot. The writing style is engaging and easy to get into. Each chapter covers a separate object, using a good range of examples from many sources. Definitely worth reading.