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| Preface | |
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| Thinking about Being a Student of Religion | |
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| Insider's and Outsider's Perspectives | |
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| Qualities Worth Having | |
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| Openness | |
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| Honesty | |
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| Critical Intelligence | |
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| Careful Observing, Reading, and Listening | |
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| Critical Tolerance | |
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| Why Study Religion? | |
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| Review Questions | |
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| Explorations | |
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| Suggestions for Further Reading | |
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| Internet Resources | |
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| On Defining and Studying Religion | |
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| Marks of a Good Definition | |
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| Usefulness | |
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| Precision | |
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| Freedom from Bias | |
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| Two Definitions | |
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| Is Secular Humanism a Religion? | |
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| A Simple Map of the Field | |
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| Goals and Methods | |
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| Description | |
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| Interpretation | |
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| Explanation | |
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| Evaluation | |
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| Fieldwork | |
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| A Controversy | |
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| Review Questions | |
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| Explorations | |
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| Suggestions for Further Reading | |
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| Internet Resources | |
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| Sacred Power | |
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| Two Case Studies | |
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| Dao (Tao) | |
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| Anselm on God | |
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| Comparison | |
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| Forms of Sacred Power | |
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| Spirits, Ancestors, and Totems | |
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| Goddesses and Gods | |
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| Monotheism and Deism | |
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| Dualism Divine | |
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| Pantheism and Monism | |
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| Agnosticism and Atheism | |
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| Review Questions | |
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| Research Case-Ganesha | |
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| Questions on the Case of Ganesha | |
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| Suggestions for Further Reading | |
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| Internet Resources | |
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| Myth as Sacred Story | |
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| Two Case Studies | |
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| Enuma elish | |
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| Moses | |
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| Comparison | |
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| Types and Functions | |
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| Theories of Myth | |
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| Myth and Science | |
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| Review Questions | |
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| Research Case-The Primal Man | |
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| Questions on the Case of the Primal Man | |
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| Suggestions for Further Reading | |
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| Internet Resources | |
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| Ritual as Sacred Action | |
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| Two Case Studies | |
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| Akitu Festival | |
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| Her Alone They Sing Over (Ishna Ta Awi Cha Lowan) | |
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| Comparison | |
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| Types and Functions | |
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| Sacrifice and Violence | |
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| Myth and Ritual | |
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| Review Questions | |
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| Research Case-Seder | |
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| Questions on the Case of the Seder | |
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| Suggestions for Further Reading | |
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| Internet Resources | |
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| Sacred Space and Time | |
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| Two Case Studies | |
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| Mount Kilimanjaro | |
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| The Dreamtime | |
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| Comparison | |
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| Features of Sacred Space and Time | |
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| Glimpsing the Sacred | |
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| Architecture | |
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| Music | |
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| Review Questions | |
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| Research Case-The Cathedral of St. Andrew | |
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| Questions on the Case of the Cathedral of St. Andrew | |
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| Suggestions for Further Reading | |
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| Internet Resources | |
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| Experiencing the Sacred | |
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| Two Case Studies | |
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| Muhammad | |
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| The Buddha | |
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| Comparison | |
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| Debates About the Nature of Religious Experiences | |
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| Shamanic Ecstasy | |
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| Mystical Techniques and States | |
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| Typologies of Mystical Experiences | |
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| Mystical Experience: Pure or Culturally Conditioned? | |
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| Mystical Techniques | |
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| Psychoanalytic Theories | |
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| Review Questions | |
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| Research Case-St. Teresa of Avila | |
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| Questions on the Case of St. Teresa of Avila | |
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| Suggestions for Further Reading | |
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| Internet Resources | |
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| Explaining Evil | |
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| Two Case Studies | |
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| Karma | |
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| The Mahdi | |
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| Comparison | |
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| Types of Theodicies | |
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| Karma Theodicies | |
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| Eschatological Theodicies | |
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| Theodicies of Participation | |
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| Dualistic Theodicies | |
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| The Theological Problem of Evil | |
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| How Theodicies Work | |
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| Review Questions | |
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| Research Case-Manichaeism | |
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| Questions on the Case of Manichaeism | |
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| Suggestions for Further Reading | |
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| Internet Resources | |
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| Religion and Morality | |
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| Two Case Studies | |
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| Divine Command Theory | |
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| Confucian Virtue | |
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| Comparison | |
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| Identifying and Legitimating Moral Norms | |
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| What are the Elements of a Religious Morality? | |
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| Retribution | |
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| Overcoming Moral Failure | |
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| Review Questions | |
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| Research Case-Jain Nonviolence | |
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| Questions on the Case of Jain Nonviolence | |
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| Suggestions for Further Reading | |
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| Internet Resources | |
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| Religion and Politics | |
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| Two Case Studies | |
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| Inside the Mind of a Religious Terrorist | |
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| Separation of Church and State | |
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| Comparison | |
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| Patterns of Political Engagement | |
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| Just War and Holy War | |
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| Civil Religion | |
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| Theocracy | |
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| Review Questions | |
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| Research Case-The Truth and Reconciliation Commission | |
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| Questions on the Case of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission | |
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| Suggestions for Further Reading | |
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| Internet Resources | |
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| Organizing the Sacred | |
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| Two Case Studies | |
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| Tibetan Buddhism | |
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| Jonestown | |
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| Comparison | |
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| The Dilemmas of Institutionalization | |
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| Types of Authority | |
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| Scripture | |
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| Gender | |
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| Review Questions | |
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| Research Case-Shinto | |
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| Questions on the Case of Shinto | |
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| Suggestions for Further Reading | |
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| Internet Resources | |
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| Human Existence and Destiny | |
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| Two Case Studies | |
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| Sikhism | |
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| Christianity | |
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| Comparison | |
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| Religions of Salvation and Society | |
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| Where are We Going? | |
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| Review Questions | |
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| Research Case-Zen Buddhism | |
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| Questions on the Case of Zen Buddhism | |
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| Suggestions for Further Reading | |
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| Internet Resources | |
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| Religious Diversity and Truth | |
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| Why Can't We All Get Along? | |
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| Exclusivism, Inclusivism, and Pluralism | |
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| Exclusivism | |
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| Inclusivism | |
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| Pluralism | |
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| Can We Determine Religious Truth? | |
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| Language Games | |
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| Critical Tolerance and the Principle of Charity | |
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| The Blind People and the Elephant | |
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| The Elephant Principle | |
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| Review Questions | |
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| Research Case-Baha'l | |
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| Questions on the Case of Baha'i | |
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| Suggestions for Further Reading | |
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| Internet Resources | |
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| Notes | |
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| Glossary | |
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| Credits | |
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| Index | |