Have you ever wondered about the roots of Islamic Militancy, the schism in the Anglican Communion or the history of Kabbalah? What are the teachings of the Satanic Bible? Who is the founder of the Scientology religious philosophy? What are the rules for Sikh living? James A. Beverley has left few stones unturned in this comprehensive and well researched introduction to the religions of the world.
Religion is a complicated topic and in today's world it's more important than ever to understand the beliefs of our neighbors. Beverly's book provides a welcome means of exploring the origins of religion regardless of your own particular faith. Although the analysis is from a Christian perspective each religion is approached with love and tolerance. Information is presented in an objective style without bias, partisanship or judgment.
The book provides information, timelines, key principles, and profiles of primary leaders for Baha'i, Branch Davidians, Buddhism, Christian Science, Christian Sectarian Groups, Hinduism, Islam, Jehovah's Witnesses, Judaism, Mormonism, The New Age, Orthodoxy, Protestantism, Roman, Catholicism, Satanism, Scientology, Sikhism, Unification Church and Witchcraft.
I believe this is a must have for students and teachers of religion but the easy to read format made it a good resource for a layperson like myself. It certainly helped me to accomplish my goal of understanding people of other faiths and what they believe. Anyone with a curiosity and desire to learn will benefit from reading this book. My copy has already been borrowed by a friend and I expect I won't see it back for awhile.
Publisher: Thomas Nelson; 1 edition (May 19, 2009)
ISBN: 978-0785244912
Pages: 644
Price: $39.99
1 comments:
I really enjoyed this book too. I thought it was easy to read and not "stuffy"!
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