In the Western world the study of religion is normally carried out—with a few exceptions—at universities and other academic institutions located in Europe, America and Oceania. To outline the various approaches of the scholars who have described and interpreted religious phenomena, it is expedient to group them according to their countries of origin and the respective academic traditions (which are profoundly influenced by the dominating religious confession: Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox, or secular). The scope of this survey includes the scholars who are active at present or were still active at the end of World War II. The first section deals with that generation of scholars (born between 1880 and 1920) whose education took place before World War II. The second section deals with scholars (born between 1920 and 1950) educated either during the war or immediately after it at the time of the break-up...