World Religions: A Guide To The Essentials Download Free (EPUB, PDF)
This masterful survey of world religions presents a clear and concise portrait of the history, beliefs, and practices of Eastern and Western religions. The new edition contains added material and has been revised throughout. The authors, both respected scholars of world religions, have over fifty years of combined teaching experience. Their book is accessibly written for introductory classes, can be easily adapted for one- or two-semester courses, and presents a neutral approach for broad classroom use. Pedagogical aids include further reading suggestions, photographs, sidebars, and pronunciation guides. An 800-question bank of multiple-choice test questions is available to professors through Baker Academic's Textbook eSources.
Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Baker Academic; 2 edition (November 18, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0801049717
ISBN-13: 978-0801049712
Product Dimensions: 7 x 0.8 x 9.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #56,421 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #22 in Books > Textbooks > Humanities > Religious Studies > Comparative Religion #53 in Books > Reference > Encyclopedias & Subject Guides > Religion #124 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Religious Studies > Comparative Religion
World Religions: A Guide to the Essentials by Thomas A. Robinson and Hillary P. Rodrigues is a well-organized, easily accessible journey through the histories and beliefs of the worldâs major beliefs both past and present. The inclusion of a discussion on ancient religions provides a welcome context in which to view the more contemporary religious practices of our time. Throughout most of the ancient world, religions were inclusive. That is, instead of the practitioners of various faiths considering their beliefs the One True Way, practitioners took a more holistic view. While we tend, for example, to consider the Egyptian pantheon all one religion, the religious beliefs of ancient Egypt were actually multiple different sects that co-existed and often cooperated for the greater good.Another difference between ancient religions and contemporary ones is the idea that the world was created by one set of gods, but ruled over by another. In some cases, this was a matter of the younger gods overthrowing the older ones. In others, it was a matter of the older gods simply being disinterested in their creation and leaving it to others to run. This differs from most of the worldâs contemporary religions, which tend to believe that their god or gods both created the world and rule it.This discussion provides an interesting juxtaposition when we move into the more contemporary religions, particularly the Western Religions of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. The authors do a good job of presenting each religion in a neutral manner, focusing on the history behind the various faiths without offering any judgment. In this regard, the book is a useful tool for those who sincerely want to learn more about other religious beliefs without all of the modern baggage imposed by so many biased media sources.The inclusion of the major Eastern religions makes this book even more valuable. So often in the West, we tend to marginalize Eastern religions when we discuss religion in general. But millions of people follow these belief systems, and the authors again do a great job of explaining the fundamental belief systems and histories of these religions in a way that is both neutral and accessible.Reviewer note: I was given a comp copy of this book in exchange for a review.
I had to get this book for my college course. The information in it was decent the only think I didn't like about the formatting of the book was the history of the religion was before the explanation of the religion, beliefs, and practices so it was kind of confusing reading about something and where it went without understanding what it was first.
Religions of the World - Shinto(Religions of the World) Introducing Chinese Religions (World Religions) Asian Religions in Practice: An Introduction (Princeton Readings in Religions) World Religions: A Guide to the Essentials Hinduism in the Modern World (Religions in the Modern World) The Usborne Encyclopedia of World Religions: Internet-Linked (World Cultures) The Hindu World (Religions of the World) The Illustrated World's Religions: A Guide to Our Wisdom Traditions World Religions (2015): A Voyage of Discovery 4th Edition The Sacred Art of Dying: How the World Religions Understand Death God Is Not One: The Eight Rival Religions That Run the World The Mystic Heart: Discovering a Universal Spirituality in the World's Religions Introducing Buddhism (World Religions) Zen Buddhism: A History (Japan) (Treasures of the World's Religions) (Volume 2) Jainism and Ecology: Nonviolence in the Web of Life (Religions of the World and Ecology) The World's Religions (Plus) Religions in the Modern World: Traditions and Transformations The World's Religions: Our Great Wisdom Traditions World Religions: Eastern Traditions Daoism (World Religions (Facts on File))
