Living Religions: A Brief Introduction (3rd Edition)
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Reflecting modern religions in today’s changing world. Living Religions: A Brief Introduction 3/e presents a highly readable and stimulating concise survey of the modern religious world though an emphasis on the personal consciousness of believers and their own accounts of their religion and relevance in contemporary life.     Along with a team of specialist consultants in each faith, and drawing on a wealth of scholarly research and firsthand source material, Mary Pat Fisher provides a fresh and challenging insight into the historical development and teachings of traditional faiths, indigenous religions, and new religious movements.  She considers how the contemporary beliefs and practices of each of these traditions has evolved, and explores the changing nature of each religion; particularly the role of women, and the issues and controversies such as fundamentalism, violence, globalization, and interfaith initiatives.      Teaching and Learning Experience   Personalize Learning - MyReligionLabdelivers proven results in helping students succeed, provides engaging experiences that personalize learning, and comes from a trusted partner with educational expertise and a deep commitment to helping students and instructors achieve their goals.   Improve Critical Thinking - Outstanding student pedagogy- including lists of key topics, review and discussion questions, a suggested reading list, Teaching Stories boxes, primary source quotations, a timeline, world map, key terms and more! - encourages students to examine their assumptions, discern hidden values, evaluate evidence, assess their conclusions, and more!   Engage Students  - Living Religions: A Brief Introductionprovides personal interviews with followers of each faith, Religion in Practice and Religion in Public Life boxes, and an impressive image program - all which help to bring each major world religion to life.   Support Instructors - Teaching your course just got easier!  You can create a Customized Text or use our Instructor’s Manual, Electronic “MyTest” Test Bank or PowerPoint Presentation Slides.  Plus, Living Religions:A Brief Introduction 3/e is concise enough that you can opt to use additional handouts, course packs, or supplemental readings.     Note: MyReligionLab does no come automatically packaged with this text. To purchase MyReligionLab, please visit www.MyReligionLab.com or you can purchase a valuepack of the text + MyReligionLab (VP ISBN-10: 0205242081, VP ISBN-13: 9780205242085)  

Paperback: 376 pages

Publisher: Pearson; 3 edition (October 16, 2011)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0205229700

ISBN-13: 978-0205229703

Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 0.6 x 9.1 inches

Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (180 customer reviews)

Best Sellers Rank: #99,081 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #42 in Books > Textbooks > Humanities > Religious Studies > Comparative Religion #230 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Religious Studies > Comparative Religion #232 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Religious Studies > History

I teach world religions and have used many different textbooks. This book has always been among the best, and the fourth edition is definitely the best--has made a lot of substantial improvements over earlier editions. Fisher is sympathetic, engaging, accessible and yet scholarly, up-to-date, thorough, and accurate. Many great pictures and side box interviews really help students understand the material, and so does the website with on-line tests and web links associated with the book chapters. If you saw an earlier edition and weren't terribly impressed, you need to take a new look at the 4th edition! Finally, a world religion survey to please both students and professors! Hard to improve on.

This textbook not only looks at the history of different religions, but it also shows you the contemporary version/manifestation of each religion. As an instructor, I found this very easy for my students to understand and relate to.One of the strongest points of this text is the interviews with different contemporary people to explain religious belief. An example of this would be an interview with Ann-Ping Chin on Confucianism in today's society. This is much easier for students to relate to than using discussions of ancient religious leaders only.Each chapter has a list of suggested readings, which I found very useful in preparing discussions. The publisher also has a web-site with exercises and links for each chapter to assist students in studying the different religions.I would recommend this book.

I had to get this textbook for a class I was taking and I really enjoyed reading it. It wasn't very detailed on the Christianity chapter but the other chapters (Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Judaism and others) where very easy to follow and you wanted to keep reading and find out about the other religious beliefs and cultures. I am very happy that my instructor chose this book to help us learn about different religions.

I opted for the rental option then realized i no longer needed this book. Not sure if i prefer the rental option as the book seems somewhat dirty. Who knows whose hands have been on the book before you? At the same time i hate the price of buying text books in general. I would recommend an ebook option whenever possible. You can also ask your professor if having the text is 100% necessary bc most don't even use text books.

I found Living Religions to be very interesting and informative. Before reading this book, I knew very litte about religions other than my own. After reading this text, I discovered the beauty in each religion presented and was able to erase the stereotypes and stigmas that I once held. I recommend this book to anyone who has little understanding of world religions and would like to become educated or for someone who may just need a reminder. It is an easy read, with the exception of some of the vocabulary associated with the different religions.

Fisher has certainly improved and expanded upon her "Living Religions" book. It has become standard fare at universities for world religion, and its reputation for its thorough, well-developed chapters is well-deserved. Students should be served well by this textbook in world-religion classes. I would give it 5 stars, except for a few reservations. Gandhi is given short shrift here, and is a fairly major Hindu figure. He appears in bits and scattered pieces. The chapter on indigenous religions I have always found to be a bit wandering and rambling, and still find this to be the case. Overall the book is intensely comprehensive, but perhaps too long. These are not major flaws, however, as I still find this a very commendable work on world religions.

i've read up a few of these book's editions and they all have the same materials i know it's how the marketing system works for these books but it's shady to make students buy newer expensive edition for same old crap

Living Religions is an easy read, with photos. There is a lot of information regarding each religion, but it is an easy read in my opinion. I would recommend this textbook as a resource for school, or to have in your library collection. I hope this review serves you well.

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