e99 Online Shopping Mall

Geometry.Net - the online learning center Help  
Home  - Basic R - Religion General (Books)

  Back | 61-80 of 99 | Next 20
A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z  

click price to see details     click image to enlarge     click link to go to the store

$23.19
61. Exploring the Spirituality of
$44.94
62. African Religions: Symbol, Ritual,
$21.06
63. Religion and the Decline of Magic:
$21.18
64. The Disappearing God Gap?: Religion
 
$28.00
65. Religions in Practice: An Approach
$71.85
66. Invitation to the Psychology of
$17.95
67. Spirituality for Our Global Community:
$32.40
68. Anthology of Living Religions,
$40.40
69. A Commentary on the General Instruction
$12.75
70. Geography of Religion: Where God
$14.97
71. Strong Religion: The Rise of Fundamentalisms
$43.36
72. The Link between Religion and
$17.57
73. Making Religion, Making the State:
$18.95
74. Religion and American Education:
$2.53
75. When Science Meets Religion: Enemies,
 
$22.97
76. Religion as Poetry
$9.99
77. Religion: The Modern Theories
$30.00
78. Introduction to Asian Religions
$50.00
79. Chinese Religion: An Introduction
$12.00
80. The New Penguin Handbook of Living

61. Exploring the Spirituality of the World Religions: The Quest for Personal, Spiritual and Social Transformation
by Duncan S. Ferguson
Paperback: 264 Pages (2010-08-24)
list price: US$34.95 -- used & new: US$23.19
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 1441146458
Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan
Editorial Review

Product Description
This title presents an introduction to the spiritual pathways of the major world religions, exploring the core beliefs, values and practices of each tradition. "Spiritual Pathways of the World Religions" is an insightful guide to the diverse ways that religious faith is practiced and spirituality is understood. Discussing contemporary issues such as post-modernism and the emergence of a 'new paradigm', the new realities of geopolitics, globalization and global warming, this book explores the importance of religion in people's lives to provide direction in the society today. This book demonstrates the common quest among the world religions for a deeper and more profound spirituality. Describing the spiritual pathways of the various world religions, it assesses the ways that the beliefs, values and practices of these traditions can be life-giving, leading to personal and social responsibility and transformation, but also sometimes harmful and divisive, even used for dangerous purposes. Promoting constructive engagements between the world's religions, this book will connect social justice and ethical engagements with core religious practices and spiritualities.This is an ideal introductory text for students of world religions, spirituality and interfaith relations, broadening their understanding of these lived faiths. ... Read more


62. African Religions: Symbol, Ritual, and Community (2nd Edition)
by Benjamin C. Ray
Paperback: 218 Pages (1999-09-20)
list price: US$53.40 -- used & new: US$44.94
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0130828424
Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan
Editorial Review

Product Description
This book presents a portrait of African religious historyframed in the religious themes common to the rest of the world. It looks at the traditional religions that provided the philosophical, religious, and ethical basis of African culture.Focusing primarily on traditional African religions and their related myths, rituals, authorities , ethics , and artwork,the book also includes substantial treatment on nationalism, African Islam and Christianity.For anyone who wants to gain an understanding ofthe relationship between African religion and culture. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

4-0 out of 5 stars Review of Benjamin Ray's African Religions
In this text Ray discusses the myths and ritual beliefs behind various native African religions. He does so respectfully and in enough depth to explain and provide background for those who are uneducated in this particular area. If you are looking for a great reference for papers or a religion class, this is it. ... Read more


63. Religion and the Decline of Magic: Studies in Popular Beliefs in Sixteenth and Seventeenth-Century England (Penguin History)
by Keith Thomas
Paperback: 880 Pages (1991-12-12)
list price: US$35.10 -- used & new: US$21.06
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0140137440
Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan
Editorial Review

Product Description
Witchcraft, astrology, divination and every kind of popular magic flourished in England during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, from the belief that a blessed amulet could prevent the assaults of the Devil to the use of the same charms to recover stolen goods. At the same time, the Protestant Reformation attempted to take the magic out of religion, and scientists were developing new explanations of the universe. Keith Thomas' classic analysis of beliefs held on every level of English society begins with the collapse of the medieval Church and ends with the changing intellectual atmosphere around 1700, when science and rationalism began to challenge the older systems of belief. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

5-0 out of 5 stars An astonishing book in every way
RELIGION AND THE DECLINE OF MAGIC is one of the greatest works of history that I have ever read. It is one of those books that is both highly entertaining and massively informative. It is also infuriating, because it is a book that is so full of detail, that it doesn't seem as if one person could have produced it. It makes me feel as if I have been wasting my life.
Thomas's subject is--as the title proclaims--the prevalence of and subsequent decline in magical beliefs in the Great Britain in the 16th and 17th centuries. He surveys magic in a myriad of forms: magical elements within religious practice, village wizards and cunning men, astrology, prophecies, and--in the most famous and frequently referred to section--witches. My favorite sections were those dealing with astrology and witchcraft, as well as the beginning chapter dealing with "nasty, brutish, and short" quality of life at the time in England. The book is filled to the brim with fascinating bits of information, such as the fact that most of the caloric intake of men, women, and even children at the time came from beer, and that at sea an allotment of a gallon of beer a day was made! The inescapable conclusion was that Britain was a nation of alcoholics.

I find it difficult to overpraise this book. Since reading it during the summer, I have found dozens of references to it in various works, and always with the highest praise attached. One of the blurbs on the back of the beautiful new paperback edition recently put out by Oxford University Press claims that it is one of the two or three greatest works of history in the past thirty years, and I have no reason to doubt it. As testament to how highly I esteem this book, I plan on buying a new copy, since the old Scribner's paperback I read barely managed to hold together til the end.

Keith Thomas's other book, MAN AND THE NATURAL WORLD, is also a work of the highest order. My one complaint with Thomas is that he has not written enough books. My hope is that he is working on another.

Note:

Since writing that review Keith Thomas has come out with another work that I just found out about and just ordered.Due to a very heavy reading/writing schedule I'm not going to be able to read it for a while, but I look forward to doing so with enthusiasm.The title is THE ENDS OF LIFE: ROADS TO FULFILLMENT IN EARLY MODERN ENGLAND.

5-0 out of 5 stars Complementary readings to this gem
There are already several fine reviews, so I will only suggest reading the following works (all of them sound anthropology, good to understand ourselves) in addition to this masterful book: a) "Shamans, Sorcerers, and Saints: A Prehistory of Religion" by Brian Hayden (great overview of religion origins and development); b) "Ecstasies: Deciphering the Witches' Sabbath" by Carlo Ginzburg (it delivers more that its title promises); and c) "When They Severed Earth from Sky: How the Human Mind Shapes Myth" by Paul and Elizabeth Barber (myths lest we forget natural disasters).

5-0 out of 5 stars A very large undertaking, but a successful one
Keith Thomas is known for his groundbreaking historical and religious scholarship.This book is a MUST for anyone studying the subjects of religion, heresy, magic, witchcraft, and early modern Christianity.Although a number of books have followed this one, this is a classic.It is obvious that Thomas spent a number of years on this book by the sheer amount of information it contains. He draws on a diverse amount of sources and utilizes them to their fullest.The only drawback, it is over 700 pages.If that doesn't deter you (it didn't me), it's a great book!

5-0 out of 5 stars A Powerful and Well-documented History Magic and Religion
Note: Some immature Mormon has been slamming my reviews because I wrote some negative reviews of books attempting to defend the Book of Mormon.

So your "helpful" votes are greatly appreciated. A short review is not necessarily a bad review if it leads you to a fascinating book. In this review, I have just noted the general theme. Thanks

"Religion and the Decline of Magic" is full of insights that help us understand the appeal of magic and our intellectual heritage. Why isn't magic as popular today as religion? What happened?

In his massive study, Keith Thomas says of the occult beliefs in astrology, witchcraft, magical healing, divination, ancient prophecies, ghosts, and fairies that:

"In offering an explanation for misfortune, and a means of redress at times of adversity, they seemed to be discharging a role very close to that of the established Church and its rivals. Sometimes they were parasitic upon Christian teaching; sometimes they were in sharp rivalry to it."

I won't attempt a detailed review, but this book is highly recommended as background for the emergence of Mormonism (not the subject of Thomas' book, however). But Joseph Smith's claims clearly had a genealogy going back to 16th century Europe.

Paul Slack in "History Today" (1981) said: "Few historians have that ability to surprise and convince with unfailing regularity, to say something absolutely original and make it seem self-evident. That is why "Religion and the Decline of Magic" remains a commanding work, one of the three or four outstanding pieces of historical writing to have appeared in the last thirty years."

For a detailed review, read the other reviewer's excellent posting. I would only add that Thomas' book should have been given five stars. What a praiseworthy work of scholarship!



4-0 out of 5 stars A must read to understand religion and magic in England
Thirty-five years ago Keith Thomas made a considerable contribution to the historical literature on religion and magic in England from the medieval period to around 1700.Whether or not one agrees with all of his conclusions, historians today can no longer treat these topics without reference to Thomas.Thomas's central argument revolves around the shifting interactions between religion and magic and the emergent rationalism that displaced magic and tempered religious belief.However, no authority or sectarian group completely purged magic from English religious or popular beliefs.

The vast majority of the book focuses on the epic battle waged between religion and magic.Thomas recounts attempts by the medieval Church in England to control the blurred line between religion and magic.The medieval Church's accommodation with magic gave it the image of possessing "a vast reservoir of magical power." (p. 51)He argues with persuasion that Church officials fought against magic with one hand, while accommodating--perhaps exploiting--magic with the other.

Thomas details with vigor Protestant attempts to stamp out magic.The Reformers' opposition to magic was proportional to their degree of antagonism toward the medieval Church.The Anglicans' affinity for Catholic ritual left room for magic.Conversely, Protestants attacked Catholicism just as ardently as they assaulted magic.They relegated sacraments, demystified clerical powers, and eliminated popular festivals.Protestant efforts not only chipped away at magic's appeal; they also created a new concept of religion: one centered on faith rather than practices (p.88)--a feat whose significance was not lost on Thomas.

Despite clerical efforts to eradicate it, magic persisted as people continued to seek answers to existential questions, such as sickness and prosperity, beyond Providence.After the Anglicans rejected Catholic paraphernalia for exorcisms and the Protestants eliminated the mechanical efficacy of rituals , only prayer remained as a viable remedy.According to Thomas, "it is no small wonder that the sorcerer's claim...proved more attractive than stern clerical insistence that all must be left" to God. (p. 314)He notes that the absence of protective ecclesiastical magic led to an increase in the number of witch prosecutions. (p. 594, 595)He also suggests that as societal tensions increased between communal generosity and individualism, witchcraft "helped to uphold the traditional obligations of charity and neighborliness." (p. 674)

In the final analysis, however, Thomas concludes that "it was the general social importance of religion [not any tangible spiritual value] which enabled it to outlive magic." (p. 766)The battles between the two "practices" left them both bloodied, with rationalism as the real winner.Or as Thomas puts it, "when the Devil was banished to Hell, God himself was confined to working through natural causes."(p. 765)Neither religion nor magic has held primacy in shaping thought since the advent of mechanical philosophy.An alternate title for the book could be Religion, the Decline of Magic, and the Rise of Rationalism.

Thomas advances the current understanding of the interaction of religion, magic, and socio-economic changes through the combination of documentary research and social scientific analysis.He marshals a wealth of primary sources.However, he leans at times on Protestant clergy like Hugh Latimer (p. 51) for medieval Church descriptions and he drafts the magical sections using dismissive sceptic writers like Reginald Scot (p. 624).Thomas's method and detachment falter in certain areas.The extent to which religion reduced magic's hold on the English population remains elusive after 853 pages.Comparing medieval and post-Reformation practitioners and clients of religion and magic could have provided benchmarks by which to assess magic's decline.The lack of some quantitative measure diminished the work's evaluative value.Despite his caveat that it would "be a gross travesty to suggest that the medieval Church deliberately held out to the laity an organized system of magic" (p. 52), Thomas proposed that Church leaders did not "discourage attitudes which might foster popular devotion.If a belief in the magical efficacy of the Host served to make the laity more regular church-goers, then why should it not be tacitly tolerated?" (p. 56)He dismissed Christian prayer as thief-magic, a psychological process that "helped the client know his own mind and gave him the resolution to act accordingly." (p. 138)By the end of the book it is difficult to understand if phrases as "primitive beliefs" (p. 774) refer to magic, religion, or both.Nevertheless, Religion and the Decline of Magic is so well crafted and its ambition so admirable that the limitations of its method and sourcing do not reduce its utility. ... Read more


64. The Disappearing God Gap?: Religion in the 2008 Presidential Election
by Corwin Smidt, Kevin den Dulk, Bryan Froehle, James Penning, Stephen Monsma, Douglas Koopman
Paperback: 288 Pages (2010-02-08)
list price: US$24.95 -- used & new: US$21.18
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0199734704
Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan
Editorial Review

Product Description
After the reelection of George W. Bush in 2004, the "God Gap" became a hotly debated political issue. Religious voters were seen as the key to Bush's victory, and Democrats began scrambling to reach out to them. Four years later, however, with the economy in a tailspin on election day, religion barely seemed to register on people's radar screens. In this book, a team of well-regarded scholars digs deeper to examine the role religion played in the 2008 campaign. They take a long view, placing the election in historical context and looking at the campaign as a whole, from the primaries through all the way through election day. At the heart of their analysis is data gleaned from a national survey conducted by the authors, in which voters were interviewed in the spring of 2008 and then re-interviewed after the election. ... Read more


65. Religions in Practice: An Approach to the Anthropology of Religion
by John R. Bowen
 Paperback: 257 Pages (2010-04-30)
list price: US$37.33 -- used & new: US$28.00
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0205795250
Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan
Editorial Review

Product Description
This book takes a unique perspective as it looks at how people engage in everyday religious practices , such as prayer, sacrifice, pilgrimage, and dress, as well as investigates major issues of gender, nation-states, and laws with respect to religion. No other text examines the full spectrum of religions from small-scale societies to full-blown "world religious movements." The in-depth treatment of Islam and Christianity is of particular interest to students, and is easily expanded to include field projects directly related to material covered in the text.The revised edition includes up-to-the-minute examples and high-interest news stories from today's headlines. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

5-0 out of 5 stars PERFECT
Book was in Perfect Condition. As described. New. The good thing was that I ordered the book Yesterday! August 19, 2010. The Book Arrived today (August 20th). The next day!!!!! The estimated delivery date was September 13, 2010!!!! I need this book for school so, the delivery time was great. I paid for regular shipping. I didn't have to pay extra shipping for next day nor two day delivery!!! I am very happy and I will definitely keep buying from this seller again. Thank You, Mentorsbook.

5-0 out of 5 stars textbook anthropological approach to religion
John Bowen, a professor at Washington University in St. Louis, wrote this as a college textbook for anthropology of religion. For this it is excellent. It is also really good for lay readers looking for an introduction to this field. It includes a review of religious studies theories from Hegel and Edward Tylor to Clifford Geertz. It includes examples from many religious traditions commonly studied--Catholicism, Islam, Judaism, Umbanda, Native American traditions, Cargo cults, Japanese New Religions, Quakers, Mormonism, Hinduism; a good breadth indeed.

His chapters are: 1) Elements and Theories of Religion; 2) Doctrine and Practice in Tension; 3) Transitions in Life and Death; 4) Extending Our Powers: "Magic" and Healing; 5) Explaining Misfortune: Witchcraft and Sorcery; 6) Sacrifice Contested; 7) Prohibitions and Boundaries; 8) Objects, Images, and Worship; 9) Sacred Speech and Divine Power; 10) Places and Pilgrims; 11) Religious Authority and Religious Movements; 12) The Place of Religions in Modern Nation-States.

The book is expensive, so unless you find it used or really want it, I wouldn't buy it. But I really wanted it, and wasn't at all disappointed. ... Read more


66. Invitation to the Psychology of Religion (2nd Edition)
by Raymond F. Paloutzian
Paperback: 304 Pages (1996-02-23)
list price: US$93.80 -- used & new: US$71.85
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0205148409
Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan
Editorial Review

Product Description
This is the only newly revised book on themarket to target the mid-level undergraduate student. Providing awell-balanced and thorough look at the psychological literature, this book ismeant to be “an invitation to the psychology of religion, not anencyclopedia of it,” and therefore, particular emphasis has been placed onwriting style as well as scholarship. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

1-0 out of 5 stars Keep looking......Very boring!
This book was utilized in a psychology of religion class I just took and it is boring beyond belief.Much of the research that was used in the examples were questionable. (Sample sizes were too small and control of extraneous variables in some seemed non-existant).This field of psychology is very young and needs books that can present credible research in a way that can stimulate interest.This book constantly says more research is needed in this or that area, but does little to show that the field has any credibility to it.

4-0 out of 5 stars A smooth intro to the psychology of religion
The psychology of religion, unlike such well entrenched divisions in psychology as developmental or social psychology, is in its infancy. So much so that it is only beginning to establish itself in the institutions of higher learning.

Thus, one of Dr. Paloutzian's objective in writing this book is to encourage students to see the value of doing psychological studies in religion. Surveying the various research undertaken in the past and present, the author gives a summary of the accomplishments of the discipline as well as the areas in which further studies are needed.

Responding to the clamor for an introductory material to the psychology of religion, Paloutzian has written this readable overview of the field. Being introductory in nature the author does not give lengthy discussions of the theories and empirical studies he cites. His goal is not to expound on these but to whet the appetite of reader and then lead him to the pertinent authors and works. On the other hand in the first few chapters Paloutzian elucidates on the various methodologies employed in the psychology of religion, as well as defining what the psychology of religion is and is not.

For those interested in the psychological aspects of religion, or even for those simply curious to know what this seldom heard of area of study is, Paloutzian's work offers a smooth and enlightening entry into this most fascinating field. ... Read more


67. Spirituality for Our Global Community: Beyond Traditional Religion to a World at Peace
by Daniel A. Helminiak
Paperback: 204 Pages (2008-02-08)
list price: US$21.95 -- used & new: US$17.95
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0742559181
Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan
Editorial Review

Product Description
In this ground breaking book, Daniel Helminiak provides a crucial spiritual option for the many who feel the need to go beyond the secular materialism of modern society and the beliefs of traditional religious faith. Helminiak gives us a compelling vision of a global spirituality that downplays beliefs and emphasizes the essential spiritual dynamics of the common human quest for wholeness, goodness, freedom and community. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

5-0 out of 5 stars Thinking beyond religion
This book is so important for the person who has moved beyond the dogma of the various religions but still is drawn to the spiritual life.Daniel Helminiak puts into words what many of us are experiencing these days as we see the violence resulting from religious clashes while we long for a way to celebrate and honor our common humanity. Helminiak provides a blueprint for a way to move beyond our differences but remain a spiritual people whether we are believers or non-believers.

5-0 out of 5 stars A Path to More Sane World
In his usual well-researched and well-presented way, Daniel Helminiak has given us a more accessible elucidation of spirituality than his The Human Core of Spirituality.And further, he has pointed the way toward creating a more sane world by acknowledging and living out the spirituality common to all of us as human beings.I highly recommend reading this book.

5-0 out of 5 stars Spirituality for Our Global Community
I'd recommend this book especially to those who have read The God Delusion (or a similar "anti religious" book) and who are bent on rejecting anything religious or spiritual. Daniel Helminiak makes a strong case to take a more calibrated approach. Yes, we need to see through the religious delusions and doctrines. But we also ought to be careful not to throw out the baby with the bath water--the baby is our human spiritual capacity, and it is not the same thing as the bath water of religion and holy books. We are paying a huge price for our relentless materialistic pursuits in a secular society - our isolation and loneliness. I agree with Daniel that Pluralistic tolerance is a flimsy screen for protecting community.

Instilling a sense of community and providing personal guidance from cradle to grave used to be the traditional domain and strength of religions. Most of us who don't belong to church or temple no longer know or even remember what it is like to be part of a nurturing community firing on all cylinders. Being a part of a Virtual Internet community is not the same. We need physical closeness, touching, hugging, sharing ...

Daniel grew up in a Christian integrated community and remembers the security and sense of belonging. He invites readers to notice that we do have a spiritual core in our minds. It manifests as flashes of insight, intuition...the "inner voice." Our inner life is very real. Spirituality = personal growth. Why attribute something to other-worldly entities and powers when there is a simpler and better explanation? It is not the existence of super natural beings but the validity of our insights that matters. "Regardless of the truth or falsehood of metaphysical claims, we still have to live out our lives together here on planet Earth." This emphasis is the base for building our new global community.

The extraordinary part about this book is its simple, rational language. It works even for us jaded types.

5-0 out of 5 stars Spirituality for Our Global Community
This book is tremendously valuable.It is a powerful synthesis of many of the ideas Helminiak has shared before, but it goes well beyond the limits of the more focused work on theology, psychology and meditation that have been the subjects of his previous writings.The most important thing about this book is that it does indeed provide a reason to hope that if we can indeed begin to develop the built-in spiritual potential that comes with being human, we might indeed be able to go beyond the divisive and destructive effects of fanatical and fundamentalist religions that threaten our world.

5-0 out of 5 stars Spirituality for Our Global Community
Review of Spirituality for a Global Community by Daniel Helminiak

Years ago, I abandoned the destructive criticism that I had learned in graduate school and began appraisal of any work by asking, what has the author turned me onto that I had previously not entertained.Helminiak has given me a new appreciation for the meaning of spirituality and its possible contribution to developing community and peace in our pluralistic world.That may seem quixotic to some readers.Helminiak is only like Don Quixote in that he longs for community as he had experienced it in the past.Instead of turning backward, as Quixote did, he finds direction in the contemporary interpretation of spirituality by Bernard Lonergan.That spirituality grows out of the ability of human beings to transcend themselves.By that, Helminiak and Lonergan mean that we become static by being controlled by biological make-up and restraints built into our psyche.While these factors are important for development, they are also limiting, and we become fully human by transcending them.
Helminiak contends that both traditional religious faith and secular materialistic ideology contribute to the lack of community and spiritual fulfillment in our pluralistic postmodern world.He contends that spirituality arises out of human being in the world.Since all humans share it, it can lay a foundation for community, unlike religions with their doctrinal and metaphysical differences or social systems that are directed toward conflicting ends. He confirms that his approach to spirituality is merely one approach and requests that he be given an open hearing. Those who accept his challenge will find themselves richly rewarded.
Before I read this book, I had read some of Helminiak's articles and was delighted to find someone working on the same issue I had been pursuing for years. Like him, I had been seeking a spirituality that speaks to life in the secular world where most of us live most of the time.Even though we share a common quest and similarities in the way we approach spirituality in the world, I found myself challenging some of his affirmations. For instance, his contention that Lonergan's four-part structure of the human spirit is adequate for all spirituality.However, when I became fully open to Helminiak's interpretation of spirituality, I found myself transcending my previous interpretation of spirituality and began to see promising new directions for understanding and pursing spirituality in the world.That's what I call a good read!



... Read more


68. Anthology of Living Religions, An (2nd Edition)
by Lee W. Bailey, Mary Pat Fisher
Paperback: 400 Pages (2007-03-15)
list price: US$60.60 -- used & new: US$32.40
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0132060590
Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan
Editorial Review

Product Description
This anthology provides each of the major world religions with an opportunity to explain itself in its own terms, creating a sensitive and accurate picture of its teachings and beliefs. It allows readers to gain an “inside” understanding of origins, founders, and practices–and presents the religions as living faiths. Selected extracts relate religion to such current issues as gender, environment, and politics. Chapters explore indigenous sacred ways, Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Judaism, Christianity, and more. For individuals desiring to learn more about the major world religions, and their impact around the world today. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

5-0 out of 5 stars Highly Pleased =]
The book was in excellent conditions. It was new just like promised. Quick shipping, too.

4-0 out of 5 stars Well Rounded Presentation
This anthology offers a well-rounded reading list from the world's religion and wisdom traditions. It does, however, provide very few of the troubling texts, instead focusing on the "kinder, gentler" readings that are -- happily -- the majority of religious writings. This book coupled with Living Religions (by the same author) provide a solid study in the world's religions.

3-0 out of 5 stars it has good selections from various religions... but
It is baptized in feminist views.That would be okay except it isn't supposed to be a platform for feminists; it is suppose to show the richness of the various religions.

It is overly concerned with defending or proving the importance of women; this often takes up to much space pushing out writing that would be more informative of the actual heart of the religion (which would be better then the dispute over women which is such a small fraction of what religion is about.I would be just as unnerved if it focused on how important men where to religions.... it seems to miss the point; the point being the religion itself be it female or male.)

That said; it does have some good excerpts.Many worth reading again and again.But there is to much of it that comes across as feminist propaganda(can you be truly sympathetic to a religion if you take modern feminist propaganda to say Islam or past Christian monasteries where women were not allowed or where at least kept separate from the males?)

The book is corrupted by (as written on the back of the book)"Coverage of important issues such as the role of women and the relationship between religion and politics."

Your expecting a loving look into religion on the religions own terms... then why, I ask, is their a reading included dedicated to the idea of God as a female within the Christian Religion?It might as well be including excerpts from the writings of Martin Luther as representative of Catholicism; they are clearly not apart of the Religion except as fringes that are better understood as protesting what is taught in the religion itself.

5-0 out of 5 stars A Great Survey of Religions of the World
In "An Anthology of Living Religions," Fisher and Bailey provide the reader with a great survey of the religions of the world.Each of the traditional religions, Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism,Confucianism, Taoism, Islam, and Sikhism are explained in great detailthrough contemporary writers who are experts in the religion they arewriting about.Other religions, such as New Religious Movements and TheInterfaith Movement, are also dealt with generally. This is a great text ifyou are looking for a survey of religions.It also satisfies the needs ofthose who wish to have a reference guide which outlines the basics of worldreligions readily available for easy reference.After explaining thebasics of each religion, and including writings of those familiar with thereligion, Fisher and Bailey include a reference to pertinent terms, holydays, a historical outline, and a section listing further readings. Thereis also a chapter which specifically deals with The Religious Response,defining the philosophy of religion and the need to have religion in ourworld today. I highly recommend this book. ... Read more


69. A Commentary on the General Instruction of the Roman Missal: Developed Under the Auspices of the Catholic Academy of Liturgy and Cosponsored by the Federation ... Liturgical Commissions (Pueblo Books)
Hardcover: 502 Pages (2008-01-15)
list price: US$59.95 -- used & new: US$40.40
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0814660177
Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan
Editorial Review

Product Description
This commentary by members of the Catholic Academy of Liturgy provides thoughtful analysis of the theological, pastoral, and ecclesial implications of the 2002 Institutio Generalis Missalis Romani (IGMR). Several prefatory chapters reflecting on the overall significance of the current Instruction are followed by a concise and meaningful chapter-by-chapter commentary. In addition to the full text of the Instruction in Latin and English, readers will find a varied and rich commentary by top liturgical scholars. No single author's viewpoint dominates, and yet the authors offer a consistent, readable text for everyone interested in the current state of liturgy in the Catholic Church. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

5-0 out of 5 stars Commentary on the General Instruction of the Roman Missal
This text completes and covers what the GIRM does not.It goes into more detail and explanations for different circumstances. It is a great asset to any Parish, DRE, Director of Liturgy and Pastor. ... Read more


70. Geography of Religion: Where God Lives, Where Pilgrims Walk
by John Esposito, Susan Tyler Hitchcock, Desmond Tutu, Mpho Tutu
Paperback: 416 Pages (2006-08-15)
list price: US$24.00 -- used & new: US$12.75
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0792259106
Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan
Editorial Review

Product Description
From its introduction by Nobel Laureate Desmond Tutu to the epilogue by the Dalai Lama, Geography of Religion encourages new understanding of the world's great religions and of their evolution from ancient roots to vital roles in modern life. With a text as fascinating as it is authoritative; vivid photographs that evoke the reverence, rituals, and rewards of each spiritual tradition; and a rich variety of essays, sidebars, and maps, this magnificent book charts the many paths that guide us to God.

Chapters on each of the 5 major religions—Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—explore the landscapes and cultures where they took hold and flourished. Eminent scholars share the faiths they live and study, revealing their sacred scriptures and rites. Every page offers new insights into religious history and doctrine, along with stunning images of believers at prayer, the holy places they cherish, and their houses of worship—from soaring cathedrals and magnificent mosques to humble shrines infused with a blessed simplicity.

Fittingly, each chapter closes with a photo-essay on pilgrims and their devotional journeys—a wonderful visual reminder that no matter which faith we may embrace, we are all fellow travelers in our search for the truth.

"The 200 photographs demonstrating the diversity of architecture, people, and terrain, are stunning in their beauty and simplicity." —Publishers Weekly ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

5-0 out of 5 stars A Must Read
This book is a must read for anyone who hasn't had a formal introduction to the world's five largest religions. The book is loaded with concise and relevant information and beautiful photography. A basic understanding of these religions goes along way.

5-0 out of 5 stars Beautiful
This book has absolutely beautiful pictures.We gave it as a gift to someone that is very knowledgable about different world religions and he enjoyed it.I was proud to have found such a nice, complete book, and I will be buying one for my own family.

4-0 out of 5 stars A model for visual history of the faithful
This is a collection of visuals on a) the religions - east and west - and b) about religious experiences - past and present.

Herein, the two academic experts as editors, i.e., Hitchcock &Esposito, have added-value to the visual history with a foreword by Archbishop Desmond Tutu and his daughter the Rev. Mpho Tutu and an epilogue by H.H. The Dalai Lama.

In the 416 pages, Geography of Religion is focused on five religions, viz., Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. "For each of 5 major religions, explore the landscapes, areas, and cultures where these faiths took hold and flourished. See them spread around the world, survive conflict, and translate into other enduring faiths based on their geographic location and cultures. Learn what it means to be a Hindu and bathe in the sacred Ganges; for a Buddhist to revere a statue of the Enlightened One; for a Muslim to trek to Mecca; for Christian martyrs to welcome death. Beautiful maps, photographs, and art illuminate the history of each religion."

This book is, then, useful resource for public libraries, as well specialized libraries, in the areas of art, architecture, etc. More specifically, high school students will find interesting content in this visual geography and its related discussions.

5-0 out of 5 stars A gorgeous blend of history, culture, and religious insight
National Geographic's lovely Geography Of Religion: Where God Lives, Where Pilgrims Walk opens with a bang - an introduction by Archbishop Desmond Tutu and his daughter the Rev. Mpho Tutu - and continues to present astounding detail and revelations all the way to the Epilogue by His Holiness the Dalai Lama himself. Here are 200 illustrating ranging from photos and examples of sacred art from around the world to maps, discussions of great leaders and faiths of the five great religions, and a timeline of events following their spread around the world. A gorgeous blend of history, culture, and religious insight.
... Read more


71. Strong Religion: The Rise of Fundamentalisms around the World (The Fundamentalism Project)
by Gabriel A. Almond, R. Scott Appleby, Emmanuel Sivan
Paperback: 296 Pages (2003-01-15)
list price: US$21.00 -- used & new: US$14.97
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0226014983
Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan
Editorial Review

Product Description

After the September 11 terrorist attacks against the United States, religious fundamentalism has dominated public debate as never before. Policymakers, educators, and the general public all want to know: Why do fundamentalist movements turn violent? Are fundamentalisms a global threat to human rights, security, and democratic forms of government? What is the future of fundamentalism?

To answer questions like these, Strong Religion draws on the results of the Fundamentalism Project, a decade-long interdisciplinary study of antimodernist, antisecular militant religious movements on five continents and within seven world religious traditions. The authors of this study analyze the various social structures, cultural contexts, and political environments in which fundamentalist movements have emerged around the world, from the Islamic Hamas and Hizbullah to the Catholic and Protestant paramilitaries of Northern Ireland, and from the Moral Majority and Christian Coalition of the United States to the Sikh radicals and Hindu nationalists of India. Offering a vividly detailed portrait of the cultures that nourish such movements, Strong Religion opens a much-needed window onto different modes of fundamentalism and identifies the kind of historical events that can trigger them.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

3-0 out of 5 stars Informative But Extremely Dry Academic Work
Some highly respected scholars, like Karen Armstrong and Bernard Lewis, are able to write serious books that are also readable enough to attract a broad audience. But "Strong Religion" is unlikely to have much appeal outside of academic circles.

I'm an atheist with a strong interest in religious fundamentalism. So I had high expectations for this book. It does cover a wide cross section of fundamentalist sects, including not only Christian evangelicals, Islamic extremists and radical Jews but also Hindu nationalists, Sikh separatists and even militant Buddhists. I appreciated how this book demonstrated the underlying similarities between these fundamentalist groups and how they all represent a potential threat to modern, secular society as well as religious pluralism and tolerance.

But, unfortunately, the book is so full of academic jargon and repetitious examples that I found it a struggle to get through. I was expecting a serious and challenging read. But the consistently dull analysis of structure, organization and methodology caused a very compelling subject to become quite boring. This book accomplishes it's academic goals. But the dry writing style will turn off many readers.

5-0 out of 5 stars Well-documented descriptions of fundamentalist movements
Frankly, I couldn't put the book down.Although it is somewhat academic in its organization and writing style, I found it totally engaging.The authors outline the incredible rise and spread of fundamentalism in the 20th century and the similarities and differences among the movement as it is found in the various religions: Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and even Buddhism. Having encountered fundamentalism at different times in my own life, I could relate to the whys and hows of people being pulled into such a movement.The authors do not leave us without hope.By understanding how fundamentalism rises, what the leaders are like, and the stages of such a movement, there are ways that we can work with this to bring these people back into the mainstream.Not easy, but also not impossible.
Read more at http://www.gettingtomaybe.com. Essays on Tolerance, Compassion, Wisdom, and Courage.

5-0 out of 5 stars Beautifullywritten, thoughtful book
Well written and carefully researched book, timely thinking on the rise of global religious fundamentalism. I haven't finished it yet, but I'm finding it fascinating. I got it out of the library, now I'm here to buy it. ... Read more


72. The Link between Religion and Health: Psychoneuroimmunology and the Faith Factor
Hardcover: 320 Pages (2002-01-17)
list price: US$49.95 -- used & new: US$43.36
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0195143604
Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan
Editorial Review

Product Description
This book is the first to present new medical research establishing a connection between religion and health and to examine the implications for Eastern and Western religious traditions and for society and culture.
The distinguished list of contributors examine a series of psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) topics that relate to religious faith and behavior.PNI studies the relationships between mental states and the nervous, endocrine, and immune systems.Among the issues it focuses upon are how mental states, in general, and belief states, in particular, affect physical health.The contributors argue that religious involvement and belief can affect certain neuroendocrine and immune mechanisms, and that these mechanisms, in turn, susceptibility to cancer and recovery following surgery. This volume is essential reading for those interested in the relationship between religion and health. ... Read more


73. Making Religion, Making the State: The Politics of Religion in Modern China
Paperback: 304 Pages (2009-03-24)
list price: US$24.95 -- used & new: US$17.57
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0804758425
Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan
Editorial Review

Product Description

Making Religion, Making the State combines cutting-edge perspectives on religion with rich empirical data to offer a challenging new argument about the politics of religion in modern China. The volume goes beyond extant portrayals of the opposition of state and religion to emphasize their mutual constitution. It examines how the modern category of "religion" is enacted and implemented in specific locales and contexts by a variety of actors from the late nineteenth century until the present. With chapters written by experts on Buddhism, Protestantism, Catholicism, Daoism, Islam, and more, this volume will appeal across the social sciences and humanities to those interested in politics, religion, and modernity in China.
... Read more

74. Religion and American Education: Rethinking a National Dilemma (H. Eugene and Lillian Youngs Lehman Series)
by Warren A. Nord
Paperback: 502 Pages (1995-05-31)
list price: US$36.95 -- used & new: US$18.95
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0807844780
Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan
Editorial Review

Product Description
Nord's thoughtful book tackles an issue of great importance in contemporary America--the proper place of religion in our public schools and universities. Nord's comprehensive study encompasses American history, constitutional law, educational theory and practice, theology and ethics. ... Read more


75. When Science Meets Religion: Enemies, Strangers, or Partners?
by Ian G. Barbour
Paperback: 205 Pages (2000-06-01)
list price: US$16.99 -- used & new: US$2.53
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 006060381X
Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan
Editorial Review

Product Description
The Definitive Introduction To
The Relationship Between
Religion And Science

  • In The Beginning: Why Did the Big Bang Occur?
  • Quantum Physics: A Challenge to Our Assumptions About Reality?
  • Darwin And Genesis: Is Evolution God's Way of Creating?
  • Human Nature: Are We Determined by Our Genes?
  • God And Nature: Can God Act in a Law-Bound World?

    Over the centuries and into the new millennium, scientists, theologians, and the general public have shared many questions about the implications of scientific discoveries for religious faith. Nuclear physicist and theologian Ian Barbour, winner of the 1999 Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion for his pioneering role in advancing the study of religion and science, presents a clear, contemporary introduction to the essential issues, ideas, and solutions in the relationship between religion and science. In simple, straightforward language, Barbour explores the fascinating topics that illuminate the critical encounter of the spiritual and quantitative dimensions of life.

    Amazon.com Review
    We're closing in on the 150th anniversary of Darwin's Origin of Species, but clearly not closing in on any resolution of the debates that the book stirred up between science and religion. In this slim volume, physicist and theologian Ian Barbour summarizes his own decades-long accumulation of knowledge in these two arenas. Writing with clarity and a scientist's eye for organization, Barbour takes on the scientific and theological significance of the big questions: the big bang, quantum physics, Darwin and Genesis, human nature (the question of determinism), and the relationship between a free God and a law-bound universe. In each chapter, Barbour recognizes four possible ways of responding to the dilemmas posed by these topics: conflict, represented by Biblical literalists and atheists, both of whom agree that a person cannot believe in both God and evolution; independence, which asserts that "science and religion are strangers who can coexist as long as they keep a safe distance from each other"; dialogue, which invites a conversation between the two fields; and integration, which moves beyond dialogue to explore ways in which the two fields can inform each other. Barbour notes that his own sympathies lie with dialogue and integration.

    Barbour won the 1999 Templeton Prize for his role in advancing the study of science and religion. "No contemporary has made a more original, deep, and lasting contribution toward the needed integration of scientific and religious knowledge and values," John Cobb has written of Barbour. This book is perhaps the best entry point into Barbour's work. --Doug Thorpe ... Read more

    Customer Reviews (17)

    4-0 out of 5 stars A Sound Overview of a Very Current and Relevant Field
    This is a good book, but it can be a dense read.Barbour introduces four views as to whether science and religion are ultimately compatible.(These four views are much similar to the categories introduced by John Haught's book "Religion and Science")Barbour treats the subject with an objective, and serious mind.While he is certainly favorable to religion, science is also extremely important to him.Readers will no doubt be enriched by his knowledge of this very lively and relevant topic.

    5-0 out of 5 stars An excellent book
    This book covers a difficult topic with detail, logic an openness, and really makes you think!

    5-0 out of 5 stars An Accessible Overview of Key Issues
    When Science Meets Religion: Enemies, Strangers, or Partners?, involves what Holmes Rolston, III, fittingly describes as a distillation of "a lifetime of thinking about how science and religion relate."As dean of and senior statesman for the science and religion discussion, Barbour draws together, in a user-friendly way, a variety of critical issues in that conversation.The book is "intended as an introduction to the field," says the author, and the book is "briefer and more accessible than my early writings."

    That Barbour is capable of pulling off a project of this magnitude will come as no surprise to those acquainted with his work.Barbour, the Winifred and Atherton Bean Professor Emeritus of Science, Technology and Society at Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota, launched the current era in the dialogue between science and religion thirty-five years ago with his groundbreaking book, Issues in Science and Religion.

    Since the release of that publication, Barbour's works have become standard texts for those both inside and outside the interdisciplinary science and religion discussion.In 1999, this physicist and theologian won the Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion.

    What makes When Science Meets Religion different from Barbour's previous books is the innovative method he uses to explore the pertinent material, most of which has been addressed in earlier writing.In the book's opening chapter, Barbour explains varying way that science and religion are considered to be related using his now classic four-fold typology (conflict, independence, dialogue, and integration).He then applies this typology in subsequent chapters to discuss (1) astronomy and creation, (2) quantum physics, (3) evolution and continuing creation, (4) genetics, neuroscience, and human nature, and (5) God's action in nature.

    While the majority of the book's space is devoted to summaries and explanations, Barbour's novel use of his typology results in a book more apologetic in tone than books he has previously authored.In particular, Barbour gives reasons for disagreeing with the "conflict" thesis type, and, although pointing out valid themes in the independence type, he also does not accept the "independence" conclusions.The proposals he does appreciate fit appropriately in the "dialogue" and "integrationist" types. Barbour believes, then, that the preferred answer to the book's subtitle "Enemies, Strangers, or Partners?" is that science and religion are best understood as capable of a mutually enriching partnership.

    Barbour calls his own theory for how science and religion best "meet" a "theology of nature.""Proponents of a theology of nature," he explains, "draw extensively from a historic tradition and a worshipping community, but they are willing to modify some traditional assertions in response to the findings of science."He cautiously uses notions from process philosophy, among other integrationist theories, to construct this theology of nature hypothesis.

    The chapter summaries provide readers with glimpses into Barbour's personal conclusions on matters central to the science and religion discussion.With regard to astronomy and creation, Barbour notes that, "at the moment, a singular Big Bang seemsthe most plausible theory, and the theist can see it as a moment of divine initiation."However, he cautions, "we should not tie our religious beliefs irrevocably to one theory."

    In summarizing his discussion of genetics, neuroscience, and human nature, Barbour contends that "both recent theology and recent science support a view of the person as a multilevel psychosomatic unity who is at the same time a biological organism and a responsible self."That both religious and scientific theories are able to support such a view provides grounding for further work in these general areas.

    In the final chapter, in which conceptions pertaining to God's relation and activity in nature are addressed, Barbour returns, at least implicitly, to issues explored in previous chapters.

    John B. Cobb, Jr., in his citation nominating Barbour for the Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion that Barbour subsequently won, said that "no contemporary has made a more original, deep and lasting contribution toward the needed integration of scientific and religious knowledge and values than Ian G. Barbour.With respect to the breadth of topics and fields brought into this integration, Barbour has no equal."Barbour's latest contribution, When Science Meets Religion: Enemies, Strangers, or Partners?, provides further confirmation for Cobb's true statement.

    Thomas Jay Oord

    4-0 out of 5 stars Process this . . .
    When Science Meets Religion is the winner of the Templeton Prize for advancing religious understanding. As a humanist, this topic is always of interest to me, and I found Barbour's view on process theology most interesting. The typology of the book was such that four "topics" were discussed in each chapter with respect to the "view" being discussed: Conflict, Independence, Dialogue, and Integration. So, for instance Astronomy and Creation are "analyzed" from those four points, as are the other major sticking points between science and religion.

    Barbour seems to treat each position with respect and objectivity and clearly states his own position so that the reader is not required to "guess" where he is coming from in his own thinking. For example, in chapter five (Genet6ics, Neuroscience, and Human Nature) Barbour states clearly the "I will defend an integral view of the person as a psychosomatic unity, which I believe is closer to both the biblical view and the evidence from contemporary science." And so it goes through all the major topics of the book. And, in the next to the last paragraph, we have this conclusion: "Finally, I find the concepts of process philosophy particularly helpful, but I am aware that a single coherent set of philosophical categories may not do justice to the rich diversity of human experience."

    In the end, Barbour has not convinced me to leave off my Humanist views, but he has indeed given me the framework I need to understand the need for others to use a religious model to express their sense of unity with all the Cosmos. As he so eloquently explains, all models are limited and partial, and none gives a complete or adequate picture of reality. So it is just a matter of where you wish to put your faith when it comes to understanding your own place in that infinity. One can put faith in science eventually giving us answers to the major questions we have or one can put faith in religion explaining the mysteries. Whichever system one chooses, one must keep in mind that no one model fulfills all needs or answers all questions.

    From the Foreword:
    "Quantum Physics: A Challenge to Our Assumptions about Reality?
    Classical physics was deterministic and reductionistic in assuming that the behavior of all objects could be exactly predicted from accurate knowledge of their smallest components. Quantum physics, by contrast, acknowledges an inherent uncertainty in the prediction of events at the atomic and subatomic levels. It is also holistic in showing that the behavior of larger wholes is not simply the sum of the behavior of their parts, but involves distinctive system laws. More over, the quantum world can never be known as it is in itself, but only as it interacts with the observer in a particular experimental system. Quantum physics thus suggests the openness of the future, the inter connectedness of events, and the limitations of human knowledge. Some theistic interpreters propose that God determines the indeterminacies left open by the laws of quantum physics. Advocates of Eastern mysticism say that quantum holism supports their belief in the fundamental unity of all things. The new physics has led scientists, philosophers, and theologians to exciting discussions about time, causality, and the nature of reality."

    2-0 out of 5 stars Is there a physicist in the house?
    Plain and simple.There is some thought-provoking points made in this book.But there are some difficulties for the average reader to comprehend. ... Read more


  • 76. Religion as Poetry
    by Andrew Greeley
     Paperback: 281 Pages (1997-01-01)
    list price: US$24.95 -- used & new: US$22.97
    (price subject to change: see help)
    Asin: 1560008997
    Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan

    77. Religion: The Modern Theories
    by Seth D. Kunin
    Paperback: 256 Pages (2003-07-01)
    list price: US$21.95 -- used & new: US$9.99
    (price subject to change: see help)
    Asin: 0801877288
    Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars
    Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan
    Editorial Review

    Product Description
    Over the course of the twentieth century, thinkers from Marx and Weber toFreud, Jung, and Campbell have transformed the way we understand the religious experience.Within the field of religious studies, various intellectual approaches—from feminism tophenomenology—have further shaped the ways in which scholars examine rituals, symbols, andbelief systems. In Religion: The Modern Theories, Seth D. Kunin provides an accessibleyet comprehensive introduction to the social-scientific theories of religion that developed duringthe twentieth century, explaining the most significant theories of religion and their precursors.

    Kunin begins with a detailed discussion of the century's major theorists of religion, their ideas,and their influence, among them Marx, Durkheim, Weber, Freud, Jung, and Otto. He nextexplores how various disciplines—sociology, psychology, phenomenology, gender studies, andanthropology—have affected the study of religion. Kunin then analyzes the constituent elementsof religion itself: ritual, symbolism, and myth. Throughout, the author emphasizes the need toquestion and reassess accepted theories and definitions of religion, and he concludes withsuggestions for framing new definitions of religion that provide more culturally sensitive andopen-ended ways of understanding. ... Read more

    Customer Reviews (2)

    1-0 out of 5 stars Terrible Book.
    I have never read anything that resembled utter junk than this. I must congratulate the author on his esoteric-convoluted writing style, because it has made understanding the concepts that much more difficult.

    This book has absolutely no merit what so ever. In fact, this book is so bad, I will burn my book rather then selling it to fool some other prospecting buyer into thinking this is a good book.

    YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!!!!!

    5-0 out of 5 stars Review of Religion
    This is an excellent book for both Undergraduate students and the educated lay reader. It comprehensively covers the major approaches to the study of religion in a clear and understandable manor. ... Read more


    78. Introduction to Asian Religions
    by Bradley K. Hawkins
    Paperback: 404 Pages (2003-06-12)
    list price: US$72.40 -- used & new: US$30.00
    (price subject to change: see help)
    Asin: 0321172892
    Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars
    Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan
    Editorial Review

    Product Description
    Exploring the major religions of South and Southeast Asia, China, and Northeast Asia, Introduction to Asian Religions surveys Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Confucianism, Daoism, Shinto, Islam, and the newer religious movements to bring the religious traditions of Asia to life. Introduction to Asian Religions encourages readers to develop their own interpretation of each tradition. Its geographical organization helps students learn how the traditions interrelate and its historical approach helps them understand how each tradition has developed and changed over time. This text places traditions within a wider global context and examines modern expressions of each tradition. ... Read more

    Customer Reviews (2)

    5-0 out of 5 stars A note from the classroom
    I use this book as a text in my Asian Religions courses. I particularly like the fact that it was written specifically as an Asian Religions text and not derived from a pre-existing World Religions text. I also like the fact that one can utilize the (significantly less expensive) trade edition of this book as a text. (The only difference is that the selection of excerpts from different Asian scriptures in the back of the textbook edition have been deleted from the trade edition.)

    5-0 out of 5 stars Well- Designed Intro to Asian religions
    Introduction to Asian Religions by Bradley K. Hawkins (Longman) Introduction to Asian Religions provides a straightforward and accessible overview of the religions of Asia, including Islam.
    Features of Introduction to Asian Religions
    * Geographically organized into three major areas: South and Southeast Asia (including Vietnam, Sri Lanka and Indonesia); China; and Northeast Asia (including Japan and Korea).
    * Covers all major Asian religions found in these regions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Confucianism, Daoism, Shinto, Islam, and newer religious movements.
    * Includes extensive coverage of Islam and its historical and contemporary place in Asia.
    * Primary source material from each major religion gives students familiarity with the religious literature of each tradition.
    * Numerous full-color photos and art-both historical and contemporary-provide insight into the artistic expressions, sacred architecture, and people of the various traditions.
    * Photographs of contemporary rituals and practices give a feel for each tradition as a living religion.
    * Numerous maps provide valuable geographical and historical context. Relevant Web site URLs are provided at the end of each chapter, directing students to the Web for further research and information.
    * A combined glossary and pronunciation guide at the end of the book further help make the religions of Asia accessible to students.
    Excerpt: I must admit at the outset that I am old-fashioned. While I applaud the myriad of new teaching materials such as audio-visual material, computer programs, the Internet, and the like that are now available to teachers of religion, I firmly believe in the Asian concept that the most meaningful educational experiences are the result of a personal interaction between student and teacher. It is this philosophy that has guided the writing of the present text. It is self-evident that no textbook of any manageable size could be written that would exhaustively treat the magnificent diversity of Asian religious experience. Choices of methodological emphasis, what topics are to be included or excluded, to what depth these topics should be treated, and to what extent one should involve the beginning student in an examination of the many still unresolved scholarly debates associated with the study of Asian religions are all questions that need to be considered when deciding how to structure the tremendous mass of data available on the religions of Asia. Clearly, instructors of the subject will hold different opinions on all of these issues.
    Moreover, every class is unique in the mix of its students and the specific expertise of its instructor, not to mention the necessity of contending with the numerous unexpected factors that affect the conduct and evolution of each individual class from term to term. It is impossible to predict what aspects of the study of the Asian traditions will fire the imagination of the students and emerge at any given point as a living concern in the classroom, either for an individual or the group at large. Instructors must be the facilitators and sculptors of this educational experience, since they mediate between the purely intellectual facts of the study and the dreams, aspirations, and concerns of the students. It is through the teacher's inspiration and technical knowledge that students transcend the dry facts of Asian religion and come to understand it for what it truly is-a vital and living force in the lives of much of the human race.
    This text, then, is designed to support the instructor's efforts in bringing the Asian religions to life for the students who will use it. As such, it makes no pretense of being exhaustive in its treatment of Asian religious phenomena, nor of being "inspirational" in its own right. Rather it aims at providing a framework within which instructors are free to develop their exposition of the material in the manner most appropriate to their own expertise and inclinations, and the conditions of their individual classrooms. With this goal in mind, I have chosen to present the religions of Asia in a primarily historical manner. As a historian of religion I believe that, far from being a static ahistorical phenomenon, religion is a living and evolving organ-ism, and that examination of the overall historical development of the Asian religions is the clearest way for the beginning student to gain an overview of these thought systems and their place in their societies. Readers of this text will also find that my presentation is conditioned by the assumption that religions are both influenced by the physical and social environments in which they develop and in turn influence those environments.
    This should not be taken to mean that I hold the reductionist viewpoint that all religion is nothing more than an outgrowth of human society and the human psyche. But given the intellectual boundaries within which the process of academic analysis takes place, scholars are committed to working with data as it presents itself, and it must be recognized that data can often be interpreted from a secular materialist point of view as well as in a spiritual manner. Nor does this method of interpretation necessarily negate the transcendental origins and possibilities advocated by the religious traditions themselves. As my grandfather used to observe, "The Lord moves in mysterious ways His wonders to perform."
    Even though the text is primarily structured along historical lines, the tremendous mass of information demands further organization. Consequently, I have divided the book into three main sections-South and Southeast Asia, China, and Northeast Asia. The pan-Asian religions such as Shamanism and Islam are examined at appropriate points throughout the narrative.
    Such wide diversity of geographic and cultural areas creates considerable challenges in transliterating the various languages of Asia into English. Since this is a textbook for beginners, I have chosen to use simple phonetic transliteration for the Indic languages. (In more advanced texts, Indic terms and names are transliterated using the excellent system that has been developed for these languages.) Likewise, I have simplified the transliteration of most of the other Asian languages encountered in the text. For Korean, I have adhered to the McCune-Reischauer system with the exception of using "ö" and "ü" to indicate the short sounds of those vowels. In the case of Chinese, I have used Pinyin; however, since so many seminal books on Chinese religion use the significantly different Wade-Giles system, I have also given that form of transliteration when words or names are encountered in the text for the first time.
    We live in a world full of electronic information resources, and present-day instructors and students of Asian religions have an immense volume of multimedia material no further away than their computers. I have chosen to use some of these newly available resources to construct what one might describe as a "counter text." Whereas the printed text concentrates primarily on the systematic presentation of the historical and intellectual development of the Asian religions-subjects that are treated very unevenly in the Internet material that I have reviewed-most of the electronic sources quoted in the text are linked to sites that give the students the "feel" of the various religions. This material will hopefully convey a fuller under-standing and appreciation of the non-intellectual components of the various Asian traditions that make them so appealing to their devotees. It is where phenomenological information on festivals, rituals, and so forth is to be found, and here many of the literary and artistic expressions of the various religions are presented. Writings drawn from the various religious traditions of Asia are also printed at the end of this text, to provide immediate access to a representative selection of primary sources.
    ... Read more


    79. Chinese Religion: An Introduction (Religious Life in History)
    by Laurence G. Thompson
    Paperback: 182 Pages (1995-07-14)
    list price: US$86.95 -- used & new: US$50.00
    (price subject to change: see help)
    Asin: 0534255361
    Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan
    Editorial Review

    Product Description
    This accessible introduction to the study of Chinese religion presents religious expression as a manifestation of Chinese culture. Like other books in Wadsworth's Religious Life in History Series, this text explores religion as a means to 'ultimate transformation.' ... Read more


    80. The New Penguin Handbook of Living Religions: Second Edition (Penguin Reference Books)
    by John R. Hinnells
    Paperback: 912 Pages (2003-04-29)
    list price: US$22.00 -- used & new: US$12.00
    (price subject to change: see help)
    Asin: 0140514805
    Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars
    Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan
    Editorial Review

    Product Description
    Comprehensive and informative, The New Penguin Handbook of Living Religions has been completely revised, with all chapters updated to include discussion of modern developments and recent scholarship. Compiled by a team of leading international scholars, it is an authoritative guide to understanding the religious beliefs and practices of the world today.

    * Explains the sources and history of the world's religions
    * Describes the doctrines, practices and teachings of different religions
    * Explores the role of gender in modern religion ... Read more

    Customer Reviews (2)

    5-0 out of 5 stars Excellent Comparative Religion Resource
    This Handbook is an invaluable resource in the studies of World Religion, sociology, and anthropology, either academic or individual. A comprehensive, easy to follow reference for anyone interested in learning more about the living religions/worldviews/traditions of the world for the purpose of creating a more harmonious coexistence. Think World Peace, folks. The Handbook covers all of Ninian Smart's Worldview Dimensions: Experiential, Ritual, Doctrinal, Mythic, Ethical and Social. A must-have for students of Comparative Religion.

    5-0 out of 5 stars Do a good deed.....Buy This Book!
    Most books these days have a pretty short shelf-life.(Excluding literary classics, of course).If you want a thorough, no-nonsense compendium of information about World Religions - this is the Book.There simply isn't anything else (In English) like it on the market.So, do your bit for humanity, tolerance and education by buying this book and getting your friends to buy it also!Perhaps we can get enough people to buy it so Penguin will have at least a token financial interest in keeping this book on the market!
    Here's why we need to keep it in print:
    Each religion is summarized and analyzed by an expert in the scholarship of that religion.While this could result in a great unevenness in both style and/or content delivered...the beauty of this work is its consistency.Each religion is reated fairly, and there is more content - fascinating and informative - between the covers of this paperback than in the major textbooks on Religions that retail for 4 times the price!
    First issued in 1984...this is the updated version.Changing what was already a really good reference work is a mixed blessing: most of the new material (almost 1/3 of the book!) is extremely well done, but owners of the previous version will miss some of what needed to be left out of the 1984 ed. in order to keep this book down to a manageable size.Overall, the changes since 1984 are great improvements to what already was the standard reference one volume work for lay persons.Kudos to Hinnell for sticking with the project.
    As someone who teaches world religions at the college level, I can think of no substitute for this work...it is affordable and belongs on the bookshelf of any well-informed reader (college graduate or not) who wants a ready and accurate guided tour ofboth the beliefs and practices of religion world-wide.
    I can't promise you good karma, less time in purgatory, or more stars in your crown...if you buy this - but you will be doing yourself an enormous service and your fair share to keep the best of scholarship in religion alive!Enjoy!
    ... Read more


      Back | 61-80 of 99 | Next 20
    A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z  

    Prices listed on this site are subject to change without notice.
    Questions on ordering or shipping? click here for help.

    site stats