In the book of Genesis, God bestows a new name upon Abram--Abraham, a father of many nations. With this name and his Covenant, Abraham would become the patriarch of three of the world's major religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Connected by their mutual--if differentiated--veneration of the One God proclaimed by Abraham, these traditions share much beyond their origins in the ancient Israel of the Old Testament. This Very Short Introduction...

In this sweeping narrative that takes us from the Stone Age to the Information Age, Robert Wright unveils a hidden pattern that the great monotheistic faiths have followed as they have evolved. Through the prisms of archaeology, theology, and evolutionary psychology, Wright's findings overturn basic assumptions about Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and are sure to cause controversy. He explains why spirituality has a role today, and why science,...

This volume offers an introduction to comparative religion, exploring the essential elements and teachings of the world's predominant faiths, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and the native traditions of Australia, Africa, Oceania, and the Americas. Emphasizing the inner--rather than the institutional--dimension of these religions, Smith devotes special attention to Zen and Tibetan Buddhism, Sufism,...

Salonica, located in northern Greece, was long a fascinating crossroads metropolis of different religions and ethnicities, where Egyptian merchants, Spanish Jews, Orthodox Greeks, Sufi dervishes, and Albanian brigands all rubbed shoulders. Tensions sometimes flared, but tolerance largely prevailed until the twentieth century when the Greek army marched in, Muslims were forced out, and the Nazis deported and killed the Jews. As the acclaimed historian...

From the introduction by the renowned Archbishop Desmond Tutu and his daughter the Rev. Mpho Tutu to the Epilogue by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, this magnificent volume explores the birthplaces of the five great religions and follows them as they spread around the globe, defining the role of faith in human life and culture over the ages. Witness the births of Hinduism and Buddhism in India, and of the three great monotheistic religions-Judaism, Christianity,...

"At the Religious Training Center on the campus of Beijing's National Politics University, disciples of China's five main religions-Buddhism, Daoism, Protestantism, Catholicism, and Islam-gather for a year of intensive study and training. In this hallowed yet jovial atmosphere, the institute's two youngest disciples-Yahui, a Buddhist jade nun, and Gu Mingzheng, a Daoist master-fall into a friendship that might bloom into something more. This year,...

What, exactly, is religion? Why does one religious tradition often differ so markedly from another? Why--despite their common source--are the Abrahamic faiths of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam so different? What kinds of factors separate the beliefs of a Hindu or Buddhist from the 'people of the book' and from other sects of Hindus or Buddhists? Religion affects everyone's life, whether directly or indirectly, and as religious issues become more...

An illustrated introduction to comparative religion, discussing Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism.