Most people know something about their own religions. That knowledge is usually restricted to what is going on at the present time. When it comes to how their religions developed in their countries, their knowledge is on shakier grounds. As for religion in foreign lands, well, for many, that information is nonexistent.Author Leonard Pintos Being a Christian in Sri Lanka: Historical, Political, Social, and Religious Considerations is a critique based on the observations and...

Understand where we came from.Whether you're an avid student of the Bible or a skeptic of its relevance, The Book That Made Your World will transform your perception of its influence on virtually every facet of Western civilization.Indian philosopher Vishal Mangalwadi reveals the personal motivation that fueled his own study of the Bible and systematically illustrates how its precepts became the framework for societal structure throughout the last ...

It has been suggested that 'spirituality' has become a word that 'can define an era'. Why? Because paradoxically, alongside a decline in traditional religious affiliations, the growing interest in spirituality and the use of the word in a variety of contexts is a striking aspect of contemporary western cultures. Indeed, spirituality is sometimes contrasted attractively with religion, although this is problematic and implies that religion is essentially dogma, moralism, institutions, buildi...

From the Native American tribal faiths and the Judeo-Christian traditions to Scientology and other nascent religions, man's search for God takes many fascinating forms. In this easy-to-use and comprehensive guide, you'll explore the intriguing dogma and rituals, cultural convictions, and often-checkered backgrounds and histories of the world's religions. This mystical tour of major and minor religions, both ancient and contemporary, includes:How religions deal with the issue ...

An award-winning sociologist's "fascinating and excellent" history of the origins of the great religions from the Stone Age to the Modern Age (Newsweek).In Discovering God, Rodney Stark surveys the birth and growth of religions around the world—from the prehistoric era of primal beliefs; the history of the pyramids found in Iraq, Egypt, Mexico, and Cambodia; and the great "Axial Age" of Plato, Zoroaster, Confucius, and the Buddha, to the modern Christian mi...

In this pioneering book Rupert Sheldrake shows how science helps validate seven practices on which all religions are built, and which are part of our common human heritage:· Meditation· Gratitude· Connecting with nature· Relating to plants· Rituals· Singing and chanting· Pilgrimage and holy places.The effects of spiritual practices are now being investigated scientifically as never before, and many studies have shown that religious ...

There is no single standard textbook that outlines the official Roman Catholic theological position in relation to other religions which then explicates this orientation theologically and phenomenologically in relation to the four main religions of the world and the flowering of new religious movements in the west. The present project will cover this serious gap in the literature. After outlining the teaching of Vatican II and the magisterium since then (chapter one), each subsequent chapt...

"The best book about the secret tradition I've read for many years. Tim Wallace-Murphy writes with style, passion and truth. A magnificent achievement." —Graham Hancock, New York Times–bestselling author of Fingerprints of the GodsFrom Egyptian mythology to Jewish mysticism, Rome and Greece to the druids and the gnostics, Tim Wallace-Murphy exposes a fascinating lineage of hidden mysteries and secret societies, continuing through the Templars, Rosi...

The need to understand religion and the role it plays in our world has never been more pressing. The beliefs and actions of the planet's 2 billion Christians, 1.2 billion Muslims, 800 million Hindus and 700 million followers of other religions has an impact on every aspect of war and peace, ethics, politics, reproduction, family and social structure across every civilization and continent.50 Religion Ideas You Really Need to Know aims to lift the clouds of confusion surrou...

The case for a bigger, more complete picture of reality in which a fifth, spiritual dimension plays a central roleDrawing on mystical and religious traditions ancient and modern, and spiritual thinkers as diverse as Julian of Norwich and Mahatma Gandhi, The Fifth Dimension is John Hick's eloquent argument for a more complete reality, in which a fifth, spiritual dimension plays a central role. Taking into account recent global crises - including the 9/11 attacks and...

"Each . . . religion . . . is described by someone who is committed to that religion . . . but who is at the [also] fully at home in the . . . academic study of religion." — John Hick, author of An Interpretation of Religion: Human Responses to the TranscendentLeading experts in the great living religions present their own faith traditions. The volume surveys the history and teachings of Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Judaism, Christianity, and I...

Grand in its sweep, this survey of the sacred writings of the major religions of the world offers a thoughtful introduction to the ideas and beliefs upon which great faiths are built. Under the expert guidance of John Bowker, a religious scholar and author of international stature, readers explore the key texts of Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Jain, Sikh, Buddhist, Parsi, Confucian, Daoist, and Shinto traditions. The author discusses some 400 books, among them such well-known sacred te...