John Morreall, Tamara Sonn

The Religion Toolkit

A Complete Guide to Religious Studies

• Gebundenes Buch

Produktbeschreibung

This unique introductory textbook is a complete overview of Religious Studies, providing students with the essential knowledge and tools they need to explore and understand the nature of religion. In a lively and engaging way, the authors draw together the main elements of Religious Studies, allowing the reader to develop an integrated understanding of religion. The book provides: * an overview of the roles of religion in society; an account of the historic development of Religious Studies, and an introduction to some of the major theories and methods - the tools - used in the study of religion; * an exploration of the diversity of world religions through overviews of some of the early religions; the family of Western monotheisms (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam); Indian traditions (Hinduism and Buddhism); Chinese traditions (Confucian, Taoist, and Buddhist); and less familiar religions such as Zoroastrianism, Shinto, and Native American religion; * the impact of Religious Studies and the natural sciences on religion, exploring issues such as developments in scriptural studies, feminist and liberation theology, evolutionism vs. creationism, and ongoing debates about the future of religion in modern society. The attractive design, lively text, numerous illustrations, sidebars, text boxes, questions, and activities all make The Religion Toolkit an exciting and thought-provoking book to use.

Produktdetails

• Verlag: Polity Press
• Seitenzahl: 376
• Erscheinungstermin: 7. November 2011
• Englisch
• Abmessung: 246mm x 185mm x 23mm
• Gewicht: 1043g
• ISBN-13: 9781405182478
• ISBN-10: 1405182474
• Artikelnr.: 35340756

Autorenporträt

John Morreall is Professor of Religious Studies at the College of William and Mary. He has published widely in the philosophy of religion, and on the comic dimensions of world religions. His book Comedy, Tragedy, and Religion (1999) won the Choice Outstanding Academic Book 2000. He is also the author of Comic Relief: A Comprehensive Philosophy of Humor (2009), published by Wiley-Blackwell. Tamara Sonn is the Wm. R. Kenan Distinguished Professor of Humanities in the Department of Religious Studies at the College of William and Mary. Her books include Comparing Religions through Law: Judaism and Islam (with J. Neusner, 1999) and Islam: 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 and Present (2004). She is currently an editor of Oxford Islamic Studies Online, and of Encyclopedia of the Islamic World (2009). In addition, Sonn is editor-in-chief of Oxford Bibliographies Online: Islamic Studies, and co-editor-in-chief of Wiley-Blackwell's Religion Compass.

Inhaltsangabe

1. Introduction: Prepare To Be Surprised

Part I: The Tools

2. An Overview of Religion: Making Sense of Life

3. The Early Development of Religious Studies

4. Religious Studies in the Twentieth Century

Part II: Using the Tools: Surveying World Religions

5. Early Traditions

6. The Family of Western Monotheisms: Jewish, Christian, andIslamic Traditions

7. Two Traditions of India: Hinduism and Buddhism

8. Balancing and Blending: Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism inChina

9. Zoroastrianism, Shinto, Baha'i, Scientology, Wicca, and theSeneca:

What Makes a "World Religion"?

10. Closing Question

Rezensionen

"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,Islamabad