Description
Book SynopsisProviding practical, human advice on religion in real-life, this title is not a comparison of world religions but a hands-on resource to help readers understand their own religions, explore others and show how to incorporate spiritual practices into their own lives.
Table of ContentsIntroduction 1
Part I: In the Beginning: Religion Basics 7
Chapter 1: Holy Smoke! Defining Religion 9
Chapter 2: Four Big Mysteries and a Couple of Recent Conundrums 31
Chapter 3: The God Questions: Does He Exist and What’s He Like? 43
Chapter 4: When Good Religions Go Bad 61
Part II: Religious Beliefs 73
Chapter 5: The Foundations of Faith 75
Chapter 6: The Amazing Variety of Spiritual Beings 99
Part III: Religious Rituals 113
Chapter 7: Rituals of Communal Worship 115
Chapter 8: Rituals of Individual Devotion 137
Chapter 9: Holy Days in Our Lives: Rites of Passage 149
Part IV: Religious Ethics 179
Chapter 10: Personal Virtues 181
Chapter 11: Public Virtues 199
Chapter 12: Religion and Some Really Hot Ethical Issues 221
Part V: All (Other) Things Holy 237
Chapter 13: Holy Books 239
Chapter 14: Holy People 263
Chapter 15: Holy Places 293
Chapter 16: Holy Houses 307
Chapter 17: Holy Days on the Calendar 323
Part VI: The Part of Tens 335
Chapter 18: Ten (or so) Jobs for the Devoted 337
Chapter 19: Ten Tales for Your Reading Enjoyment 347
Appendix: A Few Religions of the World 355
Index 375
