The Religion Toolkit
A Complete Guide to Religious Studies
Published on 15. September 2011
344 pages
978-1-4443-4371-7 (ISBN)
Description
This complete overview of religious studies provides students withthe essential knowledge and tools they need to explore andunderstand the nature of religion.
* Covers the early development of religion, with overviews ofmajor and minor religions from Islam to Scientology
* Considers recent developments including secularization; therelationship between religion and science; and scientific studieson religion, health, and mystical experience
* Uses humor throughout, allowing students to remain open-mindedto the subject
* Explains what it means to study religion academically, andconsiders the impact of the study of religion on religionitself
* Contains numerous student-friendly features including photos,maps, time lines, side bars, historical profiles, and populationdistribution figures
* Provides classroom users with a livelywebsite,www.wiley.com/go/religiontoolkit, includingquestions, quizzes, extra material, and helpful primary andsecondary sources
Reviews / Votes
"The Religion Toolkit: A Complete Guide to Religious Studiesis a unique one-stop resource. Although religion continues to be apowerful source of personal faith and a significant factor indomestic and international politics, astonishingly studies showthat most people are religiously illiterate. Morreall and Sonn'stool kit will prove essential for all (students, media,policymakers and the general public) who want to understandreligions and their impact today." --John L. Esposito, Georgetown University "A decade after 9/11, the world still seems to be torn betweencompeting religious and political ideas. John Morreall and TamaraSonn provide us a road-map based on objective analysis andscholarly research that offers us a method of understanding thenature of our world. Most important, they give us hope. Anyoneinterested in making sense of our times should be reading thisbook." --Ambassador Akbar Ahmed, American University "An invaluable guide for students of religion! The overview ofReligious Studies theory is one of the clearest I have read." --Ravi M. Gupta, College of William and Mary "This is a highly intelligent, accessible and thoughtfulcontribution to religious studies by two of the most respected andaccomplished scholars of religion working in the fieldtoday." --Mumtaz Ahmad, International Islamic University,IslamabadMore details
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10/2011
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Persons
John Morreall is Professor of Religious Studies at theCollege of William and Mary. He has published widely in thephilosophy of religion, and on the comic dimensions of worldreligions. His book Comedy, Tragedy, and Religion (1999) wonthe Choice Outstanding Academic Book 2000. He is also the author ofComic Relief: A Comprehensive Philosophy of Humor (2009),published by Wiley-Blackwell.
Tamara Sonn is the Wm. R. Kenan Distinguished Professorof Humanities in the Department of Religious Studies at the Collegeof William and Mary. Her books include Comparing Religionsthrough Law: Judaism and Islam (with J. Neusner, 1999) andIslam: A Brief History, 2nd edition (Wiley-Blackwell, 2010).She was senior editor of the Oxford Dictionary of Islam(2003), and associate editor of The Islamic World Past andPresent (2004). She is currently an editor of Oxford IslamicStudies Online, and of Encyclopedia of the Islamic World(2009). In addition, Sonn is editor-in-chief of OxfordBibliographies Online: Islamic Studies, and co-editor-in-chiefof Wiley-Blackwell's Religion Compass.
Content
List of Figures and Maps xiii
Timeline xvi
Acknowledgments xxii
Credits xxiii
1 Introduction: Prepare to Be Surprised 2
PART I THE TOOLS 15
2 An Overview of Religion: Making Sense of Life 16
3 The Early Development of Religious Studies 44
4 Religious Studies in the 20th Century 76
PART II USING THE TOOLS: SURVEYING WORLD RELIGIONS103
5 Early Traditions 104
6 The Family of Western Monotheisms: Jewish, Christian,and Islamic Traditions 124
UNIT I Judaism 126
UNIT II Christianity 151
UNIT III Islam 167
UNIT IV The Impact of Religious Studies on the WesternMonotheisms 183
7 330 Million Gods - or None: Two Traditions fromIndia 206
8 Balancing and Blending: Confucianism, Taoism, andBuddhism in China 246
9 Zoroastrianism, Shinto, Baha'i, Scientology,Wicca, and Seneca Traditions: What Makes a "WorldReligion"? 274
10 Closing Questions 308
Glossary 338
Index 344
