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Preface | |
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What is Religion? Definition of Religion | |
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Religion Versus Science? Religion Versus Other Values | |
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Components of Religion | |
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God or Gods? Religion Versus Government | |
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Sacred Writings | |
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Religious Roles | |
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Scholarly Approaches | |
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Tribal Religions | |
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Earliest Religion | |
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Common Themes in Tribal Religion | |
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The Sacred | |
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The Profane | |
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Animism | |
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Taboo | |
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Rites of Passage | |
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Sacrifice | |
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Magic | |
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Exorcism | |
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Healing | |
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Divination | |
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Creation Myths | |
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Tricksters | |
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Totems | |
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The High God | |
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Afterlife and Ancestors | |
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Megaliths | |
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The Shaman | |
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Australian Aborigines | |
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Inuits (Eskimos) | |
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Native Americans | |
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Africans | |
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Southeast Asians and Melanesians | |
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Polynesians | |
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Ainu | |
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Teutons | |
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Celts | |
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Religions of Ancient Civilizations | |
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Religious Themes | |
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Mesopotamia | |
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Case Study: Enuma Elish | |
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Case Study: Gilgamesh | |
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Egypt | |
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Iran | |
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New World Civilization | |
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Hinduism | |
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History | |
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Pre-Vedic India | |
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Vedic India | |
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Case Study: The Isa Upanishad | |
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The Period of Native Challenge | |
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The Period of Reform and Elaboration | |
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Case Study: Stories from the Mahabharata | |
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The Period of Foreign Challenge | |
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Contemporary Hinduism: Popular Religion | |
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Worldview | |
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Nature | |
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Society | |
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Self | |
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Case Study: The Hindu Child | |
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Ultimate Reality | |
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Summary: The Hindu Center | |
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Judaism | |
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History | |
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The Biblical Period | |
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Case Study: Jeremiah | |
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Rabbinic Judaism | |
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The Medieval Period | |
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The Modern Period | |
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Case Study: Hasidic Tales | |
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Worldview | |
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Nature | |
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Society | |
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Case Study: Jewish Rituals | |
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Self | |
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Ultimate Reality | |
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Case Study: Jewish Prayer | |
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Summary: The Jewish Center | |
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China And Japan | |
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The History of China | |
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Preaxial Chinese Religion | |
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The Six Schools | |
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Case Study: The Cult of Confucius | |
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The Communist Era | |
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The Chinese Worldview | |
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Nature | |
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Society | |
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Self | |
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Ultimate Reality | |
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Summary: The Chinese Center | |
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The History of Japan | |
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The Ancient-Formative Period | |
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Japan's Modern-Reformative Period | |
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The Japanese Worldview | |
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Nature | |
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Society | |
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Self | |
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Ultimate Reality | |
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Summary: The Japanese Center | |
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Greek And Hellenistic Religion | |
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History | |
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The Earliest Religion | |
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The Olympian Pantheon | |
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Oracles and Divination | |
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The Older Mystery Cults | |
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Philosophy | |
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The Hellenistic Mystery Cults | |
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Worldview | |
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Nature and Ultimate Reality | |
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Society | |
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Women | |
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Self | |
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Summary: The Greek and Hellenistic Center | |
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Buddhism | |
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History | |
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Overview | |
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The Buddha | |
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The Dharma (Buddhist Doctrine) | |
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Early Buddhism | |
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Case Study: Theravada | |
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Mahayana | |
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Case Study: The Diamond Sutra | |
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Tantrism | |
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The Demise of Indian Buddhism | |
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Buddhism in China | |
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Buddhism in Japan | |
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Contemporary Buddhist Rituals | |
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Worldview | |
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Nature | |
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Society | |
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Self | |
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Ultimate Reality | |
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Case Study: Nagarjuna | |
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Summary: The Buddhist Center | |
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Christianity | |
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History | |
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Jesus | |
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Case Study: Jesus' Parables | |
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The Early Centuries | |
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The Conciliar Age | |
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Eastern Orthodox Churches | |
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The Medieval Period | |
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The Period of Reform | |
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Worldview | |
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Nature | |
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Society | |
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Self | |
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Ultimate Reality | |
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Summary: The Christian Center | |
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Islam | |
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History | |
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Muhammad | |
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Qur'anic Religion | |
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The Age of Conquest | |
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Case Study: Mary | |
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The Golden Civilization | |
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Case Study: Architecture and Poetry | |
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The Period of Division | |
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Late Empire and Modernity | |
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Case Study: Lessons from Recent Iran | |
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Worldview | |
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Nature | |
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Society | |
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Self | |
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Case Study: Islamic Rituals | |
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Case Study: Muslim Saints | |
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Ultimate Reality | |
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Summary: The Muslim Center | |
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Modern Times | |
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Enlightenment | |
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Demythologization | |
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Modern Science | |
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Liberalism | |
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The U.S | |
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Situation | |
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Marxism | |
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Existentialism | |
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Worldview | |
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Nature and Divinity in Humanistic Perspective | |
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Society and Self in Humanistic Perspective | |
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Summary: The Humanistic Center | |
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Responses to Secularism | |
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The Great Awakening and the Great Revival | |
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Pentecostalism | |
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Christian Science | |
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Apocalypticism | |
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Jehovah's Witnesses | |
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Seventh Day Adventists | |
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Communistic Societies | |
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Mormonism | |
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Evangelicalism | |
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Ecumenism | |
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Cao Dai, Santeria, Cults | |
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International terrorism, Unity and Diversity | |
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Annotated Bibliography | |
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Glossary | |