World Religions Today

The twenty-first century is witnessing a resurgence and globalization of religion. Around the world, religion has become an increasingly more important and pervasive force in personal and public life, and faith and politics now play a powerful role in international affairs. Revealing the significance of religion in contemporary life, World Religions Today explores major religious traditions--Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and East Asian religions--as dynamic, ongoing forces in the lives of individuals and in the collective experience of modern societies. Moving beyond the almost exclusively historical perspective of many books in the field, this text takes a fresh approach, using solid historical coverage of the various religious traditions as a framework to help students understand how faiths have evolved to the present day. It connects today's religions to their classical beliefs and practices but also shows how these religions have responded to and been transformed by the modern world. To help students grasp what might be "new" about the emerging era of religious life in the 21st century, the authors open each discussion with a contemporary scenario of religious experience that illustrates the tensions between pre-modern views and modernity. World Religions Today includes a general introduction that provides essential background information for students and features many pedagogical aids including timelines, maps, numerous illustrations, questions for discussion, and a glossary of key terms. Ideal for undergraduate courses in world religions and comparative religion, World Religions Today 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 Today is the only book to examine the effects of modernity and globalization on the daily practice by believers of the world's major religions. It is designed as the core textbook for university survey courses on world religions, usually offered in the first or second year.This particularly lively and thoughtful survey is now updated to cover more aspects of the current international situation and developments in religious life around the world.DT NEW : "Tales of Spiritual Transformation" boxes in each chapter, tell a story of someone whose life was changed through religious faith. Helps to personalize the religions being discussed.DT NEW: "Teachings of Religious Wisdom" boxes also in each chapter, allow each religion to speak for itself through primary source material.Students will find assistance in putting a vast array of data in context, through timelines of each religion and full-color maps, as well as a comprehensive glossary. Discussion questions and suggestions for further reading will help students examine what they have learned, then researchfurther.

Ideal for courses in Western religions, Religions of the West Today, Fourth Edition will cover the same material as the Western chapters of the authors' longer textbook, World Religions Today, Sixth Edition. Revealing the significance of religion in contemporary life, it explores major Westernreligious traditions - Judaism, Christianity, Islam - as well as 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 and focuses on how these religions have both radically changed the modern world and been changed by it. Thoroughly revised, the fourth edition features streamlined content for greateraccessibility; updated material on recent world events; and updated timelines.

The landscape of the Middle East has changed dramatically since 2011, as have the political arena and the discourse around democracy. In Islam and Democracy after the Arab Spring, John L. Esposito, John Voll, and Tamara Sonn examine the state of democracy in Muslim-majority societies today. Applying a twenty-first century perspective to the question of whether Islam is compatible with democracy, they redirect the conversation toward a new politics of democracy that transcends both secular authoritarianism and Political Islam. While the opposition movements of the Arab Spring vary from country to country, each has raised questions regarding equality, economic justice, democratic participation, and the relationship between Islam and democracy in their respective countries. Does democracy require a secular political regime? Are religious movements the most effective opponents of authoritarian secularist regimes? Esposito, Voll, and Sonn examine these questions and shed light on how these opposition movements reflect the new global realities of media communication and sources of influence and power. Positioned for a broad readership of scholars and students, policy-makers, and media experts, Islam and Democracy after the Arab Spring will quickly become a go-to for all who watch the Middle East, inside and outside of academia.

Ideal for courses in Asian or Eastern religions, Religions of Asia Today, Fourth Edition, covers the same material contained in the authors' longer textbook, World Religions Today, Sixth Edition, while also featuring a unique chapter on Islam in Asia. Revealing the significance of religion incontemporary life, it explores Hinduism, Buddhism, South Asian religions, 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 and focuses on how these religions have both radically changed the modern world and been changed by it. Thoroughly revised, the fourth edition features streamlined content for greateraccessibility; updated material on recent world events; and updated timelines.

The Headlines in our daily papers report news about unknown people in far away places. As often as not, the headlines are negative: "Sikhs Threaten Uprising," "Fundamentalist Muslims in Protest," "Orthodox Jews Clash with Israeli Government." These headlines no more represent the religious realities of the peoples of those lands than headlines about strife in Northern Ireland represent the religious realities of Catholics and Protestants. Still, the headlines do stimulate questions: Who are these people? What are they like? What do they believe? If we are to understand the world in which we live and come to a deeper appreciation and love of others, an awareness of their religious world-view is indispensable. This volume provides a brief summary of the beliefs of Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Shintoism, Taoism and other major world religions in the hope that, by shedding light on them, greater tolerance of their adherents will ensue. Book jacket.

"World Religions at Your Fingertips lets you pinpoint the information you want right now, with sections that are highly organized, tightly written, and easy to navigate." --Book Jacket.

To live in a global society and make sense of world events requires more than a cursory understanding of world religions and the roles they play. This fascinating, in-depth, academic study of the five major religions focuses on each group's response to some of the most critical social issues of our time: ecology, peace, and women's rights. The author also highlights individual religious "heroes" and provides links to numerous digital sources for further research, making this a particularly timely and personalized approach to the study of world religions and their far-reaching impact at every level of society. Book jacket.