Description
Book SynopsisNew Revised Printing Now Available!
One World, Many Faiths : An Interactive Guide to World Religions invites students to explore life's big questions and the wide range of answers offered by the world's faith traditions. From faithful believers to committed skeptics, human beings have long explored questions such as: Who am I? Why am I here? How do I make sense of suffering? Is there a sacred reality and how do I relate to it? The answers are diverse but the urge to question unites us all.
This textbook invites the reader to engage the various religions and philosophies present in our world today, to listen to a myriad of views and to think critically about the role of religion in society. It encourages students to interact and explore through discussion questions and opportunities for reflection embedded in each chapter.
New with the revised 2
nd edition is a section on Zoroastrianism and reference to other minority religions of the Middle East, such as the Yazidi and Druze. A small section on Hmong Shamanism has also been added. Along with the text, a study app and a companion website are available for students.
Table of Contents
- Timeline of World's Religions
- Chapter 1 Introduction to Religion and Religious Studies
- Defining Religion
- Religion and Spirituality
- Personal and Social Needs Met by Religion
- Views of the Sacred
- Understandings of Time
- Rituals
- Symbols
- Myths
- Contemporary Trends in Religion
- Combinative Nature of Religion
- Women in Religious Traditions
- Growth in Numbers of Nonreligious Traditions
- Web Resources for Further Study
- Chapter 2 Religious Diversity and Religious Pluralism
- Global Religious Diversity
- History of Religious Diversity in the United States
- Religious Freedom and the Constitution
- Trends in Religious Diversity in the United States Today
- Approaches to Religious Diversity
- What is Pluralism?
- The World's Parliament of Religions and the Interfaith Movement
- Pluralism in Action
- Web Resources for Further Study
- Chapter 3 Indigenous Religions
- Challenges of Studying Indigenous Religions
- General Characteristics of Indigenous Religions
- Views of Divinity
- Role of Sacrifice
- Magic, Taboos, Fetishes, and Totems
- Divination
- Sacred Narratives
- Spiritual Specialists
- Rituals in Indigenous Religions
- Native American Rituals
- The Native American Church
- Australian Aboriginal Religions
- Indigenous African Religions
- Yoruba
- Vodou, Santeria, and Candomble
- Kwanzaa
- A Modern Development: Cargo Cults
- Web Resources for Further Study
- Eastern Religions
- Map: Asia (Activity - Identify Countries)
- Comparing East and West
- Common Threads
- Chapter 4 Hinduism
- Introduction
- Sacred Texts
- The Vedas
- The Upanishads
- The Epics and the Bhagavad Gita
- Hindu Deities
- Philosophical Concepts
- Symbols
- Way of Life
- Yoga and the Spiritual Pathways
- Bhakti Yoga, the Path of Devotion
- Karma Yoga, the Path of Selfless Service
- Jnana Yoga, the Path of Knowledge
- Raja Yoga, the Path of Meditation
- Hindu Rituals
- Rites of Passage
- Hindu Festivals
- Women in Hindu Tradition
- Hinduism in the United States
- Web Resources for Further Study
- Chart: Comparison of Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism
- Chapter 5 Buddhism
- Axial Age (Roughly 600-300 BCE)
- Introduction
- Life of Siddhartha
- Teachings of the Buddha
- Four Noble Truths
- Characteristics of Existence
- Dependent Origination
- Triple Gem
- Pali Canon
- Nirvana
- Branches of Buddhism
- Chart: Comparison of Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana
- Theravada
- Mahayana
- Vajrayana
- Additional Sects
- Socially Engaged Buddhism
- Sacred Practices
- Tak Bat
- Meditation
- Offerings and Prostration
- Relics
- Festivals
- Buddhism in the United States
- Web Resources for Further Study
- Chapter 6 Jainism
- Introduction
- Jain Cosmology
- Tirthankaras
- Mahavira
- Major Branches of Jainism
- Sacred Texts
- Major Beliefs
- Jain Symbol
- Spiritual Practices
- Sallekhana
- Meditation
- Confession
- Puja and Veneration of the Tirthankaras
- Festivals and Pilgrimages
- Jainism in North America
- Web Resources for Further Study
- Chapter 7 Sikhism
- Introduction to Sikhism
- Life of Guru Nanak
- The Succession of Gurus
- Sacred Texts
- Central Beliefs of Sikhism
- Sacred Practices of Sikhism
- The Khalsa
- Rituals and Festivals
- Sikh Symbols
- Sikhism in the United States
- Web Resources for Further Study
- Chapter 8 Chinese Religion
- A Word About Language
- Introduction
- Early Chinese Religion
- Ancestor Reverence
- Local Gods and Spirits
- Yin and Yang
- Divination
- Daoism and Confucianism
- Daoism
- Daoist Principles
- Daoist Religious Leadership and Sacred Practices
- Confucianism
- Confucian Texts
- Five Basic Relationships
- Confucian Virtues
- Confucian Rituals
- Falun Gong/Falun Dafa
- Festivals
- Chinese New Year
- The Lantern Festival .
- Qing Ming
- Dragon Boat Festival
- Mid-Autumn Festival
- Chinese Religion in the United States
- The Future of Confucius Institutes in the United States By Becca Thorpe
- Web Resources for Further Study
- Chapter 9 Japanese Religion
- Introduction
- Forms of Shinto
- Central Concepts
- Sacred Rituals
- Purification Rituals
- Honoring Kami and Ancestors
- Rites of Passage
- Festivals
- The Kojiki and Nihon Shoki
- Religious Leadership
- Contemporary Shinto
- Shinto and Popular Culture
- Shinto in the United States
- Web Resources for Further Study
- Subsection: Zoroastrianism
- Introduction
- Life of Zarathustra
- Central Beliefs
- Sacred Texts
- Rituals and Festivals
- Zoroastrianism in the United States
- Other Lesser Known Middle Eastern Faiths
- Web Resources for Further Study
- Abrahamic Faiths
- Special Section
- Chapter 10 Judaism
- Introduction
- View of History
- Memory
- Covenant, Exodus, and Exile
- Sacred Texts
- Central Concepts in Judaism
- Branches of Judaism
- Other Movements Within Judaism
- Jewish Symbols
- Rituals and Sacred Practices
- Kosher
- Sabbath Practices
- Rites of Passage
- Festivals
- The Holocaust
- Jewish Feminism
- Judaism in the United States
- Web Resources for Further Study
- Chapter 11 Christianity
- Introduction
- Judaism at the Time of Jesus
- Historical Jesus
- Paul's Role of Spreading Christianity to the Gentiles
- The Christian Scriptures
- Central Teachings of Christianity
- History of Christianity
- Councils and Creeds
- Non-Chalcedonian Churches
- The Great Schism
- The Reformation
- Anabaptists or Radical Reformers
- Sacred Practices
- Monasticism
- Sacraments
- Liturgical Year
- Devotional Practices
- Pilgrimage
- Music
- Christian Symbols
- Christianity in the United States
- Evangelicalism
- Nineteenth and Twentieth Century Christian Movements in the United States
- Christian Science
- Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
- Seventh Day Adventist
- Jehovah's Witnesses
- Pentecostalism
- Ecumenism
- Nondenominationalism and the Emerging Church Movement
- Liberation and Feminist Theology
- Growing Centers of Christianity Today
- Web Resources for Further Study
- Chapter 12 Islam
- Introduction
- Life of Muhammad
- Scripture and Tradition in Islam
- Central Teachings of Islam
- Forms of Islam
- Sunni-Shi'a Split
- Sufism
- Wahhabism and Salafi Islam
- Sacred Practices of Islam
- Five Pillars of Islam
- Communal Worship
- Dietary Restrictions
- Hijab
- Jihad
- Dating and Marriage
- Death and Burial
- Banking and Finances
- Islam and Women
- Islamic Feminism
- Islamic Art
- Islam in the United States
- Web Resources for Further Study
- Emerging Religious Traditions
- Chapter 13 Paganism
- Introduction
- General Characteristics
- Wheel of the Year
- Samhain
- Yule
- Imbolc
- Ostara
- Beltane
- Summer Solstice
- Lammas/Lughnasdh
- Mabon
- Individual Traditions
- Anglo-Saxon and Celtic Traditions: Wicca and Druidism
- Hellenistic Polytheism
- Norse/Scandinavian Paganism
- Contemporary Shamanism
- Web Resources for Further Study
- Chapter 14 New Religious Movements
- Introduction
- Social Climate
- Baha'i
- Early History
- Beliefs and Sacred Texts
- Rituals and Symbols
- Baha'i in the United States
- Cao Dai
- Eckankar
- International Society of Krishna Consciousness
- Jediism
- Mahikari
- Pastafarianism
- Raëlism
- Rastafarianism
- Satanism, The Church of Satan
- Scientology
- Theosophy
- Transcendental Meditation
- Unification Church
- Unitarian Universalism and Th e Unity Movement
- Web Resources for Further Study
- Appendix
- Religious Site Visit Worksheet
- Sample Interview Questions
- Glossary
- Index
