World Religions

Front Cover......Page 1
Title Page......Page 4
Copyright......Page 5
Brief Contents......Page 8
Contents......Page 10
Preface
......Page 22
Introduction......Page 24
Sacred Stories......Page 25
Rituals......Page 26
Historical Development......Page 27
Worldview......Page 29
Vocabulary......Page 33
I: Religions of Tribes and City-States......Page 34
CHAPTER 1 Religions of the Americas......Page 36
Religions of North America......Page 37
Worldview: Common Features of North American Religions......Page 47
Historical Development......Page 51
Worldview: Aztecs......Page 52
Historical Development......Page 54
Worldview: Incas......Page 55
Worldview: Common Features of Mesoamerican and South American Religions......Page 59
Vocabulary......Page 60
Readings......Page 61
CHAPTER 2 Religions of Africa......Page 64
Historical Development......Page 66
Worldview: Ancient Egyptians......Page 67
Worldview: Basongye......Page 73
The Zulu Peoples of South Africa......Page 75
Worldview: Zulu Peoples......Page 76
Worldview: Yoruba Peoples......Page 79
Worldview: Common Features of Religions in Sub- Saharan Africa......Page 81
Rituals and Symbols......Page 82
Vocabulary......Page 83
Readings......Page 84
II: Religions Arising in India......Page 86
CHAPTER 3 Hinduism......Page 88
Historical Development: The Origins of Hinduism......Page 90
Shruti and Smriti: Revelation and Scriptures......Page 91
The Upanishads......Page 95
Karma, Samsara, and Castes......Page 97
The Bhagavad Gita......Page 98
The Laws of Manu......Page 100
Duties of the Four Stages of Life......Page 101
Four Goals for Hindus Today......Page 102
Popular Hinduism: Four Ways of Salvation......Page 103
Orthodox Hindu Systems of Philosophy......Page 106
Hindu Responses to Western Influence......Page 107
Historical Development: Independent India......Page 111
Worldview: Hinduism......Page 112
Rituals and Symbols......Page 117
Questions for Review......Page 121
Notes......Page 122
Readings......Page 123
CHAPTER 4 Buddhism......Page 126
Historical Development: The Life of the Buddha......Page 128
The Four Noble Truths......Page 134
The Buddha on Samsara and Karma......Page 137
Historical Development: Buddhism after the Buddha......Page 138
Two Ways of Experiencing the Buddha......Page 140
Buddhism in Asia......Page 144
Historical Development: Buddhism and the West......Page 153
Worldview: Buddhism......Page 155
Rituals and Symbols......Page 160
Questions for Review......Page 162
Notes......Page 163
Readings......Page 164
CHAPTER 5 Jainism and Sikhism......Page 168
Jainism......Page 169
Worldview: Jainism......Page 173
Sikhism......Page 179
Worldview: Sikhism......Page 185
Rituals and Symbols......Page 187
Notes......Page 190
Readings......Page 191
III: Religions of China and Japan......Page 192
CHAPTER 6 China and Japan......Page 194
Beliefs in China before the Sages......Page 195
Historical Development: Daoism......Page 197
Worldview: Daoism......Page 202
Confucianism......Page 204
Historical Development: Confucianism......Page 205
Historical Development: The Rise and Fall of Confucianism......Page 214
Worldview: Confucianism......Page 215
Historical Development: Shinto......Page 219
Worldview: Shinto......Page 226
Rituals and Symbols: A Visit to a Shinto Shrine......Page 228
Questions for Discussion......Page 231
Notes......Page 232
Readings......Page 233
IV: Religions That Influenced East and West......Page 236
CHAPTER 7 Ancient Religions of Iraq and Iran......Page 238
Historical Development: Mesopotamian Civilizations......Page 239
Worldview: Mesopotamia......Page 243
Iranian Religion......Page 246
Historical Development: Zoroastrianism......Page 247
Worldview: Zoroastrianism......Page 250
Rituals and Symbols......Page 253
Notes......Page 256
Readings......Page 257
V: Religions of the Family of Abraham......Page 258
CHAPTER 8 Judaism......Page 260
The Jewish Bible......Page 261
Abraham......Page 263
Historical Development: Life under the Egyptians......Page 264
Moses......Page 265
Historical Development: Settlement in Canaan......Page 267
The Hebrew Prophets......Page 268
Historical Development: Destroyed Kingdoms, Exiled Leaders......Page 270
Postexilic Judaism......Page 272
Rabbinic Judaism......Page 275
Medieval Judaism......Page 278
Judaism in the Modern Age......Page 282
The Holocaust......Page 285
Israel......Page 286
Worldview: Judaism......Page 289
Rituals and Symbols......Page 294
Vocabulary......Page 298
Notes......Page 299
Readings......Page 300
CHAPTER 9 Christianity......Page 302
Historical Development: Jesus of Nazareth......Page 303
The Teachings of Jesus......Page 304
Saul of Tarsus......Page 311
Roman Persecution and Acceptance......Page 314
Formation of the New Testament......Page 317
Age of the Church Fathers......Page 318
Monasticism......Page 321
The Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox Traditions......Page 323
The Crusades......Page 326
Protestant and Reformed Churches......Page 327
The Catholic Reformation......Page 329
Major Roman Catholic Reforms......Page 333
Christianity and Liberation......Page 334
Worldview: Christianity......Page 335
Rituals and Symbols......Page 341
Vocabulary......Page 344
Notes......Page 345
Readings......Page 346
CHAPTER 10 Islam......Page 348
Historical Development: The Background of Islam......Page 350
The Pillars of Islam......Page 358
The Beginnings of Sunni and Shi'a......Page 360
The Expansion of Islam......Page 361
Muslim Spiritual Experiences......Page 363
Islam and Other Religions: The Middle Ages......Page 366
Muslim Responses to Modernism......Page 369
Comparison of Shi'ites and Sunnis in the Twenty- First Century......Page 370
Islam in the United States......Page 372
Worldview: Islam......Page 374
A Pillar of Islam: The Pilgrimage to Mecca......Page 380
Islam and the Future......Page 383
Vocabulary......Page 384
Notes......Page 385
Readings......Page 386
CHAPTER 11 New Forms of Older Religions......Page 388
Baha'i......Page 389
Cao Dai......Page 390
Church of Scientology......Page 391
Druids......Page 392
Falun Gong......Page 394
Orishas in the New World: Candomblé, Santería, and Vodun......Page 395
Rastafarians......Page 396
Theosophical Society......Page 397
The Unification Church/Family Federation for World Peace and Unification......Page 398
Wicca......Page 401
Questions for Discussion......Page 402
Readings......Page 403
An Illustration of Globalization......Page 406
Globalization: A View from the Third World......Page 407
Globalization: Another View......Page 408
The Sciences and Globalization......Page 409
Rights for Men and Women......Page 412
Globalization: The Environment......Page 413
Religion and Violence......Page 415
Where Globalization Needs Help......Page 416
The Solution for Humans......Page 417
Community and Ethics......Page 418
Vocabulary......Page 419
Readings......Page 420
Periodicals......Page 21
Glossary......Page 421
Credits......Page 434
Index......Page 436