Dimensions of the Sacred: Anatomy of the World's Beliefs - Softcover

Smart, Ninian

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0006863728 ISBN 13: 9780006863724

Publisher: Fontana Press, 1997

Synopsis

This work explores the underlying features of the world's major religions and comparable secular systems of thought. It considers Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Shintoism, Marxist-Leninism, Maoism, nationalism, as well as a number of minor, more local systems of belief. Smart demonstrates that these diverse systems of belief are united by a number of recurring themes: the tendency to worship, the use of visual icons, story-telling, the holding of a rigid, somewhat inflexible view of history, ethical instruction, guidelines on bodily practices and dependence on ritual. The book breaks down each of these themes, and examines them in relation to specific belief systems. For example, it shows the varying beliefs which are held about survival after death (immortality, hell, purgatories, rebirth, final death) and different rituals (greeting, blaspheming, cursing, blessing, praying, bathing, meditiating and initiating).

About this title

About the Author

Ninian Smart is J.F. Rowny Professor of Comparative Religions at the University of California and was formerly professor at Lancaster University, where he inaugurated Britain’s first major Religious Studies department. Among his many books are ‘The World’s Religions’, ‘Buddhism and Christianity: Rivals and Allies’, ‘The Religious Experience’ and ‘Choosing a Faith’.

From the Back Cover

'Dimension of the Sacred' for the first time maps the underlying features of the world’s major faiths – Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, African and other indigenous religions. This would be remarkable enough in itself. But Ninian Smart extends his examination using the same principles to secular religions such as Marxist-Leninism and nationalism. The result of twenty-five years of reflection and research by one of the world’s leading authorities on comparative religion, 'Dimension of the Sacred' leads us through the entire spectrum of spiritual life. To our perennial questions about the nature of existence, this book is an indispensable guide.

“An ambitious feat of scholarship and argument…'Dimension of the Sacred' throws up intriguing connections and parallels on every page.”
CATHERINE LOCKERBIE, 'Scotsman'

“Richly informative…Professor Smart has distinguished himself as a pioneer in this field. There is great scholarship at work here…an absorbing and most valuable book.”
NICK THOMAS, 'Catholic Herald'

“Extremely precise…[Smart] demonstrates that all religions, whether theistic or non-theistic, share certain similarities. They all have a creed, elements of ritual, an ethical or legal standpoint and a mythic dimension. [It is] a work of immense erudition. The bibliography alone is a student of comparative religion’s idea of heaven.”
DARIANE PICTET, 'Literary Review'

Edition details

• Publisher: Fontana Press
• Publication date: 1997
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0006863728
• ISBN 13: 9780006863724
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 368