You hesitate to enroll in Anthro 205 (The Nature of Religion): "Will I be told that the Bible is just a collection of myths?"
Or you eagerly enroll so that you can tell your parents why you don't have to go to church with them on your next visit home.
You leave your first session of Near Eastern Lit 313 (Introduction to New Testament Literature) depressed and discouraged: "Did the early church really put all those words in Jesus' mouth?"
Or you leave the class exhilarated, your skepticism confirmed.
For students like these, Kenneth G. Howkins, Senior Lecturer in Religious Studies, Balls Park College, England, provides an excellent introduction to the study of religion. He makes the reader aware of the biases he will encounter, the major arguments he will have to confront and the literature he can study to help him meet the challenges.