Gerard Russell's new book compares religion as social bond vs. set of ideas

THE HINDU
By Sudhamahi Regunathan

IRAQ---Musing on Yazidis of West Asia, Gerard Russell says unlike the West where religion is a set of ideas, it is more about community connections in the region. He, Gerard Russell talks mainly of the Yazidis in this conversation while his book, “Heirs to Forgotten Kingdoms” documents many more of the disappearing religions of the Middle East. They are the Druze, Zoroastrians, Coptic Christians and Samaritans in addition to the Yazidis. He finishes by saying he has come out of it feeling better about religion because, “…is essentially a kind of bond where you can trust someone because of the community to which they belong...." [link]