World Religions Today - Softcover

Esposito, John L.; Fasching, Darrell J.; Lewis, Todd

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0195365631 ISBN 13: 9780195365634

Publisher: OUP USA, 2008

Synopsis

Revealing the significance of religion in contemporary life, World Religions Today, Third Edition, explores eight major religious traditions--Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, East Asian Religions, indigenous religions, and new religions--as dynamic, ongoing forces in the lives of individuals and in the collective experience of modern societies. This unique volume accomplishes two goals; it connects today's religions to their classical beliefs and practices while also focusing on how these religions have responded to and been transformed by the modern world. The authors combine thorough coverage of the historical background of each religion with up-to-the-minute discussions of its current practices. Each discussion opens with a contemporary scenario of religious experience that illustrates the tension between premodern views and modernity. The volume is enhanced by numerous pedagogical aids--timelines, maps, illustrations, discussion questions, a comprehensive glossary of key terms--and more than 200 photographs. An Instructor's Manual and a Companion Website featuring resources for both students and instructors supplement the text. NEW TO THE THIRD EDITION * Vivid four-color interior design that brings the material to life * Updates that cover more aspects of the current international situation and developments in religious life around the globe * "Tales of Spiritual Transformation" boxes that relate the stories of people whose lives have been changed by religious faith * "Teachings of Spiritual Wisdom" boxes that introduce primary source material Ideal for undergraduate courses in world religions and comparative religion, World Religions Today, Third Edition, emphasizes the interconnectedness of faith, culture, politics, and society, providing a peerless examination of the diverse ways in which contemporary human beings are religious. World Religions Todayis also available as two separate volumes: Religious of Asia Today (978-0-19-537360-8) and Religions of the West Today (978-0-19-537361-5).

About this title

Review:

"World Religions Today is lively, clear, and very insightful; students will learn so much from every single page. One marvelous feat of this book is the way in which it relates contemporary developments to the history of a particular tradition without overlooking important new developments or innovations. The language does not oversimplify content and keeps the theoretical richness intact, and the concepts and traditions are covered in the best possible light."--Bassam Romaya, University of Massachusetts Lowell

"This might be the best world religions textbook that I have encountered. It is erudite, very well written, and quite compelling."--Jonathan Ebel, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

"World Religions Today is unique in its consistent and thorough analysis of the relationship between modernity and modern religious movements. Its attention to the theoretical and cultural interventions introduced in the last fifty years really makes it an important and unique text."--Joseph Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis

"The pedagogical devices are superb. Students read, and enjoy, the text boxes."--Alice L. Wood, Bethune-Cookman University

"The writing style is engaging and clear. The material is not presented in a manner that is overly dry or clinical, and is written at a level that students can understand without feeling spoken down to."--Samuel Hopkins, Northern Arizona University

Book Description:

TEXTBOOK

About this edition

• Publisher: OUP USA
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 0195365631
• ISBN 13: 9780195365634
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 3
• Number of pages: 652