Ethel Linklater passed away July 7, 2004 leaving
a strong cultural legacy behind for her many children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.
From these traditions, we have inherited not only the specific substantive emphases that distinguish each from the others but a
legacy of common themes as well: (1) a theoretically grounded rationale for the importance of studying religion in any serious effort to understand the major dynamics of modern societies, (2) a view of religion that recognizes the significance of its
cultural content and form, and (3) a perspective on religion that draws a
strong connection between studies of religion and studies of culture more generally — specifically, studies of.