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| Preface | |
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| Introduction | |
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| An Introduction to Religion and the Study of Religion | |
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| What Is Religion? | |
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| The Problem of Defining Religion | |
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| Adopting a Working Definition of Religion | |
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| Secular Religions? | |
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| Why Are People Religious? | |
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| Why So Many Religions? | |
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| Why Is the Study of Religion So Important in the Twenty-First Century? | |
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| What Is the Relationship Between Science and Religion? | |
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| How Might Religion Be Studied? | |
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| Evaluative Methods of Studying Religion | |
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| Descriptive Methods of Studying Religion | |
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| How Will We Study the World's Religions? | |
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| A Framework for Understanding and Comparing Religious Worldviews | |
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| Symbols, Myths, and Rituals | |
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| Looking Ahead: An overview of the Rest of the Text | |
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| Chapter Summary | |
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| Important Terms and Phrases | |
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| Questions for Discussion and Reflection | |
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| Sources and Suggestions for Further Study | |
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| The World's Religions-Histories and Worldviews | |
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| Indigenous Religions-Quest for Harmony | |
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| An Orientation to Indigenous Peoples and Their Religions | |
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| Problems in Studying Indigenous Religions | |
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| The Traditional Worldview of Indigenous Peoples | |
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| The Yoruba of West Africa | |
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| Introduction | |
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| Yoruba Religion: Harmony with the Orisa | |
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| The Oglala Lakota (Sioux) of the Great Plains of North America | |
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| Introduction | |
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| A Brief History of the Oglala Lakota | |
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| Oglala Lakota Religion: The Way of the Sacred Pipe | |
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| The Continuing Impact of Indigenous Religions in the Twenty-First Century | |
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| Chapter Summary | |
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| Important Terms and Phrases | |
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| Questions for Discussion and Reflection | |
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| Sources and Suggestions for Further Study | |
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| Hinduism-Many Paths to the Summit | |
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| Introduction | |
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| An Orientation to South and Southeast Asia | |
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| Lands and Peoples | |
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| A Brief History of India | |
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| The Traditional South Asian Worldview | |
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| Stages of Development and Sacred Texts | |
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| The Problem with the Name "Hinduism" | |
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| Religion of the Indus Valley (Harappan) Civilization | |
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| The Religion of the Vedas: The Rig-Veda and the Upanishads | |
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| Hindu Society: The Laws of Manu | |
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| The Epics: Ramayana and Mahabharata | |
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| Devotional Literature and Movements: The Puranas | |
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| Philosophical Literature and Movements: The Yoga School and Advaita Vedanta | |
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| Hindu Reform Movements and Reformers in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries | |
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| Independent India | |
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| The Hindu Worldview | |
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| Humanity: An Eternal Soul (Atman) | |
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| Problem: Trapped by Karma | |
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| Cause: Desire and Ignorance | |
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| End: Liberation (Moksha) from the Cycle of Rebirth | |
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| Means: The Paths of Action, Devotion, and Knowledge | |
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| Reality: Penetrating the Veil of Maya | |
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| Sacred: Many Gods and Beyond the Gods | |
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| Hinduism in the Twenty-First Century | |
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| Hinduism as a Global Religion | |
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| Hindu Nationalism in India | |
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| Chapter Summary | |
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| Important Terms and Phrases | |
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| Questions for Discussion and Reflection | |
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| Sources and Suggestions for Further Study | |
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| Theravada Buddhism-The Middle Way | |
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| Introduction | |
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| Stages of Development and Sacred Texts | |
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| Founder: Siddartha Gautama | |
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| Formation of the Order of Buddhist Monks and Nuns (Sangha) | |
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| The Spread of Buddhism Beyond India | |
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| The Pali Canon | |
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| The Three Major Branches of Buddhism | |
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| The Theravada Buddhist Worldview | |
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| Humanity: No Permanent Identity (Anatta) and Dependent Origination | |
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| Problem: The First Noble Truth-Life Is Suffering (Dukkha) | |
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| Cause: The Second Noble Truth-Suffering Is Caused by Craving (Tanha) | |
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| End: The Third Noble Truth-The Extinction of Craving (Nirvana) | |
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| Means: The Fourth Noble Truth-The Eightfold Path of the Middle Way | |
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| Reality: Impermanence (Anicca) | |
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| Sacred: Spiritual Atheism | |
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| Theravada Buddhism in the Twenty-First Century | |
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| Chapter Summary | |
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| Important Terms and Phrases | |
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| Questions for Discussion and Reflection | |
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| Sources and Suggestions for Further Study | |
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| Jainism-The Way of Noninjury | |
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| Introduction | |
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| Stages of Development and Sacred Texts | |
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| Founder: Mahavira and the Tirthankaras | |
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| The Jain Community | |
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| Jain Texts: The Agamas | |
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| The Jain Worldview | |
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| Humanity: Eternal, Infinite Souls (Fivas) | |
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| Problem: Souls "Weighed Down" by Actions (Karma) | |
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| Cause: Activity | |
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| End: Becoming a Conqueror (Fina) and Well-Being | |
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| Means: Self-Denial and Noninjury (Abimsa) | |
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| Reality: A Dualism of Matter (Ajiva) and Spirit (Fiva) | |
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| Sacred: Spiritual Atheism | |
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| Jainism in the Twenty-First Century | |
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| Chapter Summary | |
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| Important Terms and Phrases | |
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| Questions for Discussion and Reflection | |
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| Sources and Suggestions for Further Study | |
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| Daoism-The Way of Nature | |
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| Introduction | |
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| An Orientation to East Asia | |
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| Lands and Peoples | |
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| A Brief History of China | |
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| The East Asian Worldview and Indigenous Religions | |
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| Daoism: The Way of Nature | |
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| Stages of Development and Sacred Texts | |
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| The Worldview of Daoist Philosophy | |
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| Daoism in the Twenty-First Century | |
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| Chapter Summary | |
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| Important Terms and Phrases | |
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| Questions for Discussion and Reflection | |
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| Sources and Suggestions for Further Study | |
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| Confucianism-The Way of Virtue | |
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| Introduction | |
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| Stages of Development and Sacred Texts | |
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| Founder: Master Kong (Confucius) | |
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| The Analects and Other Texts | |
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| Formation of the Confucian School, and Confucianism as State Teaching | |
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| Neo-Confucianism | |
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| Is Confucianism a Religion? | |
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| The Decline of Confucianism | |
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| The Confucian Worldview | |
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| Humanity: Social Relationships and Microcosm | |
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| Problem: Social Chaos | |
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| Cause: A Breakdown of Virtue | |
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| End: Leaders of Character (Fun-zi) and the Harmonious Society | |
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| Means: The Virtuous Life | |
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| Reality: Life-Giving, Relational, Harmonious | |
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| Sacred: Making the Dao Great | |
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| Confucianism and Other Religions in the People's Republic of China | |
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| Chapter Summary | |
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| Important Terms and Phrases | |
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| Questions for Discussion and Reflection | |
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| Sources and Suggestions for Further Study | |
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| Mahayana Buddhism (The Great Vehicle) and Vajrayana Buddhism (The Thunderbolt Vehicle) | |
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| Introduction | |
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| A Brief History of Korea and Japan | |
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| Korea | |
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| Japan | |
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| Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism in East Asia | |
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| The Spread of Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism into East Asia | |
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| Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhist Texts of India | |
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| Mahayana, Vajrayana, and Theravada Buddhism Contrasted | |
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| The "Three Bodies" of the Buddha | |
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| Bodhisattvas | |
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| Sunyata ("Emptiness") | |
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| Major Mahayana Schools in East Asia | |
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| Pure Land: The Devotional School | |
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| Zen: The Meditation School | |
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| Nichiren: The Political School | |
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| Vajrayana Buddhism in Tibet | |
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| Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism in the Twenty-First Century | |
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| Chapter Summary | |
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| Important Terms and Phrases | |
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| Questions for Discussion and Reflection | |
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| Sources and Suggestions for Further Study | |
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| Shinto-The Way of the Kami | |
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| Introduction | |
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| Stages of Development and Sacred Texts | |
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| The Origin and Meaning of "Shinto" | |
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| The Shinto Myth: Japan as the Land of the Kami | |
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| Popular Japanese Religion | |
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| Medieval Shinto: Theoretical Amalgamation with Buddhism | |
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| The Revival of Shinto | |
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| The Shinto Worldview | |
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| Humanity: The People of the Kami | |
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| Problem: Pollution | |
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| Cause: Lack of Reverence for the Kami | |
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| End: Purity and Harmony | |
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| Means: Shrines, Rituals, and Self-Cultivation | |
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| Reality: The Land of the Kami | |
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| Sacred: The Kami | |
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| Religion in Twenty-First-Century Japan and Korea | |
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| Japan | |
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| Korea | |
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| Chapter Summary | |
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| Important Terms and Phrases | |
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| Questions for Discussion and Reflection | |
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| Sources and Suggestions for Further Study | |
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| Judaism-The Way of Torah | |
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| Introduction | |
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| An Orientation to the Middle East | |
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| Lands and Peoples | |
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| A Brief History | |
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| The Traditional Worldview | |
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| Judaism: The Way of Torah | |
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| What Is Judaism? | |
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| Stages of Development and Sacred Texts | |
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| The Jewish Worldview | |
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| Judaism in the Twenty-First Century | |
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| Chapter Summary | |
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| Important Terms and Phrases | |
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| Questions for Discussion and Reflection | |
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| Sources and Suggestions for Further Study | |
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| Christianity-The Way of Jesus Christ | |
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| Introduction | |
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| Stages of Development and Sacred Texts | |
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| Founder: Jesus of Nazareth | |
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| The New Testament and the Birth of Christianity | |
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| The Institutionalization and Spread of Christianity | |
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| Reform Movements in Christianity | |
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| Major Christian Movements | |
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| Other Developments | |
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| The Christian Worldview | |
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| Humanity: One in Christ | |
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| Problem: Separation from God | |
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| Cause: Original Sin | |
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| End: The Kingdom of God in Heaven and on Earth | |
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| Means: Grace, Faith, and the Sacraments | |
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| Reality: Creation and the Cosmic Christ | |
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| Sacred: One God, Three "Persons" | |
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| Christianity in the Twenty-First Century | |
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| Chapter Summary | |
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| Important Terms and Phrases | |
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| Questions for Discussion and Reflection | |
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| Sources and Suggestions for Further Study | |
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| Islam-The Way of Submission to Allah | |
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| Introduction | |
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| Stages of Development and Sacred Texts | |
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| Arabia in the Seventh Century C.E. | |
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| The Prophet Muhammad | |
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| The Holy Qur'an | |
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| The Spread of Islam and the Rise of Islamic Civilization | |
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| The Branches of Islam | |
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| Sufi: The Mystical Movement | |
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| The Revival of Islam | |
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| The Islamic Worldview | |
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| Humanity: From a Single Soul | |
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| Problem: Rejecting Allah's Guidance | |
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| Cause: Distraction | |
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| End: Paradise and the "House of Islam" | |
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| Means: A Life of Submission | |
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| Reality: The Signs of Allah | |
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| Sacred: There Is No God but Allah | |
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| Islam in the Twenty-First Century | |
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| Chapter Summary | |
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| Important Terms and Phrases | |
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| Questions for Discussion and Reflection | |
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| Sources and Suggestions for Further Study | |
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| Sikhism-The Way of the Guru | |
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| Introduction | |
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| Stages of Development and Sacred Texts | |
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| Founder: Nanak | |
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| The Gurus After Nanak | |
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| Guru Adi Granth (The Granth Sahib) | |
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| The Resurgence of Sikhism in Modern India | |
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| The Sikh Worldview | |
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| Humanity: A Pearl in an Oyster | |
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| Problem: Living Apart from God | |
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| Cause: Egoism | |
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| End: Absorption in God | |
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| Means: Praise and Compassion | |
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| Reality: Penetrating the "Wall of Falsehood" | |
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| Sacred: The True Name | |
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| Sikhism in the Twenty-First Century | |
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| Chapter Summary | |
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| Important Terms and Phrases | |
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| Questions for Discussion and Reflection | |
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| Sources and Suggestions for Further Study | |
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| The New Religious Movements-Renewal and Innovation | |
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| Introduction | |
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| The Rapid Growth of New Religious Movements | |
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| Problems in Studying New Religious Movements | |
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| Preparing for the End: Apocalyptic New Religious Movements | |
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| Seventh-Day Adventism: Living in the Final Days | |
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| Branch Davidians: Unlocking the Seven Seals | |
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| Aum Shinrikyo: Teaching the Supreme Truth | |
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| Faith and Spirit: New Religious Movements of Healing and Awareness | |
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| Christian Science: Recovering Lost Healing | |
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| International Raelian Religion: Preparing for the Elohim | |
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| Jediism: Star Wars Religion | |
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| Reviving the Church: Christian New Religious Movements of Renewal | |
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| The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons): Christ's Kingdom in America | |
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| The Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity (the Unification Church): Restoration of Original Harmony | |
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| Nature and Spirit: Earth-Based and Ecological New Religious Movements | |
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| Wicca: Renewing European Witchcraft | |
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| Deep Ecology: Ecological Egalitarianism | |
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| Liberation and Enlightenment: New Religious Movements with Asian Roots | |
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| The International Society for Krishna Consciousness: The Hare Krishnas | |
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| Falun Dafa (Falun Gong): Cultivating the Universal Life Energy | |
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| Soka Gakkai: The Society for Value Creation | |
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| African-American and Afro-Caribbean New Religious Movements | |
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| The Nation of Islam: The "Black Muslims" | |
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| The Ras Tafari Movement: The Black Messiah | |
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| Native American New Religious Movements | |
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| The Native American Church: Peyote Religion | |
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| Focusing on the Human and the Natural: Secular New Religious Movements | |
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| Secular Humanism: Humanity as Ultimate | |
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| Marxism: Toward a Classless Society | |
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| Satanism: Indulging Self | |
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| The Quest for Unity: Universalist New Religious Movements | |
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| The Baha'i Faith: Toward World Unity | |
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| Unitarian Universalist Association: The Unity of God | |
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| Chapter Summary | |
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| Important Terms and Phrases | |
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| Questions for Discussion and Reflection | |
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| Sources and Suggestions for Further Study | |
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| The World's Religions and Contemporary Ethical Issues | |
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| The Ecological and Economic Crises-Humans and Resources | |
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| The Ecological Crisis: Is the Balance of Life on Planet Earth in Jeopardy? | |
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| The Nature of the Issue and the Role of Religion | |
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| Religious Responses | |
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| The Economic Crisis: Why Hunger and Abject Poverty in a World of Plenty? | |
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| The Nature of the Issue and the Role of Religion | |
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| Religious Responses | |
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| Chapter Summary | |
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| Important Terms and Phrases | |
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| Questions for Discussion and Reflection | |
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| Sources and Suggestions for Further Study | |
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| War and Capital Punishment-Society and Violence | |
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| War: When, If Ever, Is War Justified? | |
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| The Nature of the Issue and the Role of Religion | |
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| Religious Responses | |
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| Capital Punishment: When May the State Take a Criminal's Life? | |
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| The Nature of the Issue and the Role of Religion | |
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| Religious Responses | |
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| Chapter Summary | |
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| Important Terms and Phrases | |
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| Questions for Discussion and Reflection | |
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| Sources and Suggestions for Further Study | |
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| Abortion and Euthanasia-Life and Death | |
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| Abortion: Right to Life or Right to Choose? | |
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| The Nature of the Issue and the Role of Religion | |
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| Religious Responses | |
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| Euthanasia: A "Good Death" or "Playing God"? | |
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| The Nature of the Issue and the Role of Religion | |
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| Religious Responses | |
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| Chapter Summary | |
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| Important Terms and Phrases | |
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| Questions for Discussion and Reflection | |
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| Sources and Suggestions for Further Study | |
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| Gender and Sexual Orientation-Roles and Identity | |
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| The Changing Roles of Women: Liberation or Confusion? | |
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| The Nature of the Issue and the Role of Religion | |
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| Religious Responses | |
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| Homosexuality: Orientation, Preference, or Perversion? | |
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| The Nature of the Issue and the Role of Religion | |
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| Religious Responses | |
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| Chapter Summary | |
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| Important Terms and Phrases | |
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| Questions for Discussion and Reflection | |
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| Sources and Suggestions for Further Study | |
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| Conclusion | |
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| The Future of the World's Religions | |
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| How the World's Religions Will Relate to One Another: Three Possible Futures | |
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| Exclusivism | |
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| Inclusivism | |
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| Pluralism | |
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| The Search for Common Ground: The Ecological Crisis | |
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| The World's Religions after September 11, 2001 | |
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| Important Terms and Phrases | |
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| Sources and Suggestions for Further Study | |
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| Glossary | |
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| Index | |