Invitation to World Religions

Cover......Page 1
Half Title Page......Page 2
Title Page......Page 4
Copyright......Page 5
BRIEF CONTENTS......Page 6
CONTENTS......Page 8
PREFACE......Page 18
Chapter 1: An INVITATION to the STUDY of WORLD RELIGIONS......Page 28
 APPROACHING THE STUDY OF WORLD RELIGIONS......Page 29
  Religion as a Subject of Academic Inquiry......Page 30
 WHAT RELIGIONS DO......Page 35
  Religious Questions and Challenges......Page 36
 DIMENSIONS OF RELIGIONS......Page 43
  Teachings......Page 44
  Historical Development......Page 45
  Modernization and Related Phenomena......Page 46
  The Encounter of Religion and Science......Page 48
  Balance and Empathy......Page 49
  Comparative and Multidisciplinary Approaches......Page 50
 CONCLUSION......Page 51
Chapter 2: INDIGENOUS RELIGIONS of NORTH AMERICA......Page 56
 THE TEACHINGS OF NATIVE AMERICAN INDIGENOUS RELIGIONS......Page 59
  Creation and Origins......Page 60
  Life Lessons in Myths......Page 62
  The Importance of Balance: Humanity and the Natural World......Page 64
  Sacred Language and Sacred Time......Page 66
  VOICES: An Interview with Lin Estes......Page 67
  Conquest, Colonization, and Christianity......Page 69
  Resistance Movements......Page 70
  Native Religions and Non-Native Practitioners......Page 72
  Healing......Page 73
  Women and Gender in Native American Religions......Page 74
  Rites of Passage......Page 75
  Rites of Renewal and Rites of Purification......Page 77
 CONCLUSION......Page 78
Chapter 3: INDIGENOUS RELIGIONS of AFRICA......Page 84
  Myths......Page 88
  Supernatural Beings: Gods and Spirits......Page 89
  VOICES: Interviews with Sammy Letoole and Festus Ogunbitan......Page 90
  Humanity and the Human Condition......Page 94
  The Spread of Islam......Page 96
  Reform and Resistance......Page 97
  African Religions in the Americas......Page 99
  Communicating with the Spirit World......Page 100
  VISUAL GUIDE African Religions......Page 101
  Using Supernatural Powers......Page 103
  Life Cycle Rituals......Page 104
  Women in Indigenous African Religions......Page 107
 CONCLUSION......Page 108
Chapter 4: HINDUISM......Page 114
  Hindu Beliefs about Divine Reality......Page 116
  The Individual and the Quest for Liberation......Page 121
  Three Paths to Liberation......Page 124
  Vedanta: The Predominant School of Hindu Philosophy......Page 126
  The Individual and Society......Page 127
  VOICES: An Interview with Jayashree Venkatesan......Page 130
  Hindu Sacred Texts......Page 131
  The Sects of Hinduism......Page 136
  The Indus Valley Civilization......Page 139
  The Vedic Period......Page 141
  The Age of the Guptas......Page 142
  The Development of Bhakti......Page 143
  Early Hindu Encounters with Islam and Rule Under the Mughal Dynasty......Page 145
  Colonial Critique and the Hindu Reformers......Page 146
  Gandhi and the Struggle for Indian Independence......Page 148
  Hindu Nationalism and Hindutva......Page 149
 HINDUISM AS A WAY OF LIFE......Page 150
  VISUAL GUIDE Hinduism......Page 151
  Hinduism......Page 152
  Yoga......Page 154
  Rites of Passage......Page 155
  Pilgrimage......Page 157
  Women in Hinduism......Page 158
  Festivals and Holidays......Page 159
  Performance Traditions......Page 160
 CONCLUSION......Page 162
Chapter 5: BUDDHISM......Page 168
  The Life of the Buddha......Page 170
  The Essentials of the Buddha’s Teaching......Page 173
  VOICES: An Interview with Katherine Sei......Page 179
  The Period of the Buddhist Councils......Page 180
  Theravada Buddhism......Page 182
  Mahayana Buddhism......Page 184
  Vajrayana Buddhism......Page 188
  Buddhism in India......Page 190
  Buddhism Beyond India......Page 191
  The Western Transmission......Page 196
  Buddhists in the World Today......Page 197
  Who Is a Buddhist?......Page 198
  Meditation and the Cultivation of Mind......Page 199
  Conversion and Ordination......Page 201
  Women in Buddhism......Page 202
  Sacred Places and Objects of Veneration......Page 204
  Holidays and Festivals......Page 205
  Funerary Rites......Page 206
 CONCLUSION......Page 207
Chapter 6: JAINISM......Page 214
  Mahavira, the Twenty-Fourth and Last Tirthankara of This World Cycle......Page 217
  An Eternal Succession of Tirthankaras......Page 218
  Jainism and Hinduism......Page 219
  Ahimsa and Asceticism: Jainism’s Ideals......Page 220
  Theory of the Universe......Page 221
  Liberation and Salvation......Page 224
  The Indian Historical Context......Page 226
  The Legacy of the Tirthankaras: Jainism through the Centuries......Page 227
  Jainism in Today’s World......Page 228
  Digambaras and Shvetambaras......Page 229
  VOICES: An Interview with Girish Shah......Page 230
  VISUAL GUIDE Jainism......Page 232
  Jainism and Women......Page 234
  The Religious Life of the Jain Laity......Page 235
 CONCLUSION......Page 237
Chapter 7: SIKHISM......Page 242
 THE TEACHINGS OF SIKHISM......Page 244
  The Life of Guru Nanak......Page 245
  Sikh Scripture......Page 247
  On God, the Human Condition, and Spiritual Liberation......Page 249
  Teachings of Guru Gobind Singh and the Khalsa......Page 251
  Guru Nanak’s Successors......Page 252
  Guru Gobind Singh and the Khalsa......Page 254
  Sikhs in the Diaspora......Page 256
  VOICES: An Interview with Onkar Singh......Page 258
  VISUAL GUIDE Sikhism......Page 260
  Life Cycle Rituals......Page 261
  Women and Sikhism......Page 263
  Sikh Identity......Page 264
 CONCLUSION......Page 265
Chapter 8: CHINESE RELIGIONS: CONFUCIANISM and DAOISM......Page 270
  Ancient Chinese Religious Views......Page 273
  The Teachings of Confucius......Page 278
  Confucianism and Women......Page 286
  The Teachings of Daoism......Page 287
  Daoism and Women......Page 293
 THE HISTORY OF CONFUCIANISM AND DAOISM......Page 294
  The History of Confucianism......Page 295
  The History of Daoism......Page 301
 CONFUCIANISM AND DAOISM AS WAYS OF LIFE......Page 306
  Confucian Rituals......Page 307
  VOICES: An Interview with Jason Ch’ui-hsiao Tseng......Page 308
  Daoist Practices......Page 311
 CONCLUSION......Page 314
Chapter 9: SHINTO......Page 322
 THE TEACHINGS OF SHINTO......Page 324
  Creation Myth in the Kojiki......Page 325
  VOICES: An Interview with Watanabe Minoru......Page 330
  Medieval Shinto......Page 331
  The Modern Period......Page 332
 SHINTO AS A WAY OF LIFE......Page 335
  Women in Shinto......Page 336
  Rites of Purification, Presentation, Petition, and Participation......Page 337
  Religious Observances throughout the Year......Page 341
  VISUAL GUIDE Shinto......Page 342
 CONCLUSION......Page 343
Chapter 10: ZOROASTRIANISM......Page 348
  Cosmic Dualism......Page 350
  The Divine Realm......Page 351
  Creation and the Nature of the World......Page 353
  Human Nature and Human Destiny......Page 354
  The Background of Zoroastrianism......Page 356
  Zarathustra......Page 357
  Zoroastrian Scriptures......Page 358
  Zoroastrianism through the Centuries......Page 359
  Zoroastrianism in the Modern World......Page 363
  VOICES: An Interview with Rustom Ghadiali......Page 365
  Women and Zoroastrianism......Page 368
  Holy Days and Rites of Passage......Page 369
  VISUAL GUIDE Zoroastrianism......Page 371
 CONCLUSION......Page 372
Chapter 11: JUDAISM......Page 376
  God......Page 378
  Torah......Page 380
  Covenant and Election......Page 381
  Israel......Page 383
  The Messiah and the Messianic Age......Page 384
  The Afterlife......Page 385
  Jewish Mysticism......Page 386
 THE HISTORY OF JUDAISM......Page 387
  Dispersion, Assimilation, and Collective Identity......Page 388
  The Biblical Period......Page 389
  The Second Temple Period......Page 390
  The Formative Age......Page 393
  The Conflict between Judaism and Christianity......Page 395
  The Age of Philosophy and Mysticism......Page 396
  The Modern Era......Page 401
  Reform Movements in Europe and the United States......Page 402
  The Shoah and the State of Israel......Page 406
  The Future of Judaism in the Contemporary World......Page 409
  Women and Judaism......Page 410
  The Major Festivals......Page 411
  VOICES: An Interview with Rabbi Brad Bloom......Page 414
  VISUAL GUIDE Judaism......Page 413
  The Minor Festivals......Page 417
  The Sabbath......Page 419
  Life-Cycle Events......Page 420
  Other Sacred Practices......Page 424
  Prayer......Page 426
 CONCLUSION......Page 428
Chapter 12: CHRISTIANITY......Page 436
 THE TEACHINGS OF CHRISTIANITY......Page 438
  The Life of Jesus......Page 439
  The Teachings of Jesus......Page 441
  Paul and the Mission to the Gentiles......Page 443
  God, Creation, and Original Humanity......Page 444
  God as Trinity......Page 446
  Sin and Human Nature......Page 447
  Grace and Salvation......Page 448
  VOICES: An Interview with Terrie M. and Father Art......Page 449
  Scripture......Page 450
  Tradition......Page 452
  The Afterlife......Page 453
  Christianity and Other Religions......Page 455
  Christianity in the Roman World......Page 456
  The Church in the Middle Ages......Page 461
  The Reformation......Page 464
  Christianity in the Modern World......Page 468
  Women in Christianity......Page 473
  Christianity Today and Tomorrow: Trends and Prospects......Page 475
  Worship......Page 477
  VISUAL GUIDE Christianity......Page 478
  Christianity......Page 479
  Church Interiors: Sacred Space......Page 480
  Prayer......Page 482
  The Liturgical Year......Page 483
  Veneration of Saints......Page 484
 CONCLUSION......Page 486
Chapter 13: ISLAM......Page 494
 THE TEACHINGS OF ISLAM......Page 496
  Muhammad and the Revelations......Page 497
  The Holy Qur’an......Page 499
  The Teachings of the Qur’an......Page 500
  The Sunnah: The Example of the Prophet......Page 504
  The Five Pillars......Page 505
 THE HISTORY OF ISLAM......Page 513
  The Hijra and the Growth of the Muslim Community......Page 515
  The Crisis of Succession and the Rightly Guided Caliphs......Page 517
  The Umayyads and the Abbasids......Page 518
  Later Islamic Empires: The Ottomans, the Mughals, and the Safavids......Page 520
  Islam and Nationalism......Page 521
  Islamic Reform Movements......Page 523
  Varieties of Islam......Page 526
  Muslims in North America......Page 528
  VOICES: An Interview with Tunay Durmaz......Page 531
  The Qur’an in Daily Life......Page 532
  What Is Jihad?......Page 533
  The Islamic Year and Holidays......Page 534
  The Shari’ah: Islamic Law......Page 535
  Sufism......Page 537
  Marriage and Family......Page 540
  Women and Islam......Page 542
 CONCLUSION......Page 545
Chapter 14: NEW RELIGIOUS MOVEMENTS......Page 550
 WHAT IS “NEW” ABOUT NEW RELIGIOUS MOVEMENTS?......Page 551
  Modernization, Globalization, and Secularization......Page 552
  Theoretical Models and Social Typologies......Page 554
 ALTERNATIVE CHRISTIANITIES AND THEIR OFFSHOOTS......Page 557
  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints......Page 558
  Christian Science and New Thought......Page 560
  Adventism......Page 562
  Jehovah’s Witnesses......Page 563
  The Family (Children of God)......Page 564
  The Unification Church......Page 565
  Rastafarianism......Page 567
 THE REDISCOVERY OF EASTERN RELIGIOUS THOUGHT......Page 568
  The Theosophical Society......Page 569
  ISKCON: The International Society for Krishna Consciousness......Page 570
  The Osho Rajneesh Movement......Page 571
  Transcendental Meditation......Page 572
 THE REVIVAL OF ESOTERIC AND NEOPAGAN THOUGHT......Page 573
  Eckankar......Page 574
  The Findhorn Foundation......Page 575
  The Raelian Movement......Page 576
  The Church of Scientology......Page 578
  Wicca......Page 580
  VOICES: An Interview with Rev. Lucy Bunch......Page 583
  The Baha’i Faith......Page 584
  Unitarian Universalism......Page 586
 THE NEW ATHEISM......Page 587
 CONCLUSION......Page 589
NOTES......Page 596
GLOSSARY......Page 604
CREDITS......Page 618
INDEX......Page 622