In this final edition edition of Hurst's Religion, an Accident of Birth, the author takes us deeper on his journeys. From a war torn Middle East to the streets of Juarez Mexico, we see the unfolding of not only the works of a great physician, but the love of a humanitarian and his life's work. Hurst, truly a doctor without borders, explores not only his trials during the Vietnam war, the trepidations of secret border crossings in the desert many years later, and the exotic alleyways of the far east, but also the hearts and souls of mankind. In his final work, Hurst begs us to look deeper, not only at our beliefs, but at our purpose as human beings who have the ability to strive and go beyond our interpersonal borders. "We have seen a tremendous amount of history in our lifetime and so much injustice related to religion. Nothing new. When a Hindu mentioned religion as "an accident of birth," I knew I had it to build a book around it. This was to be a book to demand integrity in religion, whether Christian, Muslim, or otherwise." - CR Hurst.

Discover and fulfill your God-given purpose by joining the more than thirty-five million others who have embarked on a spiritual journey that started with this #1 New York Times bestselling book by Pastor Rick Warren. Before you were born, God knew what your life had in store for you. His hope for you is to discover the life he created just for you--both here on earth, and forever in eternity. Let Rick Warren guide you as you learn to live out your true purpose. The Purpose Driven Life is more than a book; it's a road map for your spiritual journey. Combining thoughtful verses from Scripture with timely stories and perspectives from Warren's own life, The Purpose Driven Life will help you discover the answer to one of life's most important questions: What on earth am I here for? Throughout The Purpose Driven Life, Warren will teach you to spend time getting to know yourself and your creator in order to live your life to the fullest. Unlocking your true purpose will also reduce your stress, simplify your decisions, increase your satisfaction, and, most importantly, prepare you for eternity. Designed to be read over the course of forty-two days, The Purpose Driven Life will help you see the big picture, giving you a fresh perspective on the way that the pieces of your life fit together. Every chapter of The Purpose Driven Life provides a daily meditation and practical steps to help you uncover and live out your purpose, starting with exploring three essential questions: The Question of Existence: Why am I alive? The Question of Significance: Does my life matter? The Question of Purpose: What on earth am I here for? Each copy of The Purpose Driven Life also includes thoughtful discussion questions, audio Bible studies that go along with every chapter, and access to a supportive online community, giving you the opportunity to dive even deeper into each life-changing lesson.

Why is religion still around in the twenty-first century? Why do so many still believe? And how do various traditions still shape the way people experience everything from sexuality to politics, whether they are religious or not? In Why Religion? Elaine Pagels looks to her own life to help address these questions. These questions took on a new urgency for Pagels when dealing with unimaginable loss—the death of her young son, followed a year later by the shocking loss of her husband. Here she interweaves a personal story with the work that she loves, illuminating how, for better and worse, religious traditions have shaped how we understand ourselves; how we relate to one another; and, most importantly, how to get through the most difficult challenges we face. Drawing upon the perspectives of neurologists, anthropologists, and historians, as well as her own research, Pagels opens unexpected ways of understanding persistent religious aspects of our culture. A provocative and deeply moving account from one of the most compelling religious thinkers at work today, Why Religion? explores the spiritual dimension of human experience.

A Critical Introduction to the Study of Religion introduces the key concepts and theories from religious studies that are necessary for a full understanding of the complex ways in which religious and cultural institutions and traditions influence society. This book provides readers with an arsenal of critical concepts for studying religious ideologies, practices, and communities. This edition has been thoroughly revised and now includes a new chapter on "Belief" and a rewritten chapter on "Essentialism," and has been restructured to clearly emphasize key topics including: problems with the concepts of "religion" and "belief systems;" functionalism and classification; essentialism, socialization, and habitus; and legitimation, authority, and authenticity All ideas and theories are clearly illustrated, with contemporary and engaging examples and case studies throughout. It’s an essential text for all students approaching the subject area for the first time.

This is a collection of John Hick's essays on the understanding of the world's religions as different human responses to the same ultimate transcendent reality. He is in dialogue with contemporary philosophers (some of whom contribute new responses); with Evangelicals; with the Vatican and other both Catholic and Protestant theologians.

Religion in Sociological Perspective is an introduction to the sociology of religion core text, designed to present and illustrate the basic theories sociologists use to understand the social dimensions of religion. First and foremost, the authors seek to help students understand the perspective from which sociologists view religion. By the time students have finished this book, they should understand the central theories and methods of research in the sociology of religion, and they should have an idea of how to apply these analytical tools to new groups they encounter. The goal of this text is to be illustrative rather than all-encompassing. The Fifth Edition continues to draw on a wide range of perspectives. The text aims to help students recognize the contributions of various theoretical perspectives and the blind spots of each theory. Conflict, functional, social constructionist, and rational choice paradigms are used throughout the text. Various middle-range theories are also utilized to explore specific processes. Despite the effort to introduce many perspectives, however, we have made an effort to enhance integration of the text by using one framework throughout the book: the open systems model.