In Religion and World History, distinguished authors John C. Super and Briane K. Turley examine the value of religion for interpreting the human experience in the past and present. They explore the elements of religion which best connect it to the cultural and political dynamics that have influenced history. Working within this framework, Super and Turley present three unifying themes: * the relationship between formal and informal religious beliefs, how these change through time, and how they are reflected in different cultures * the relationship between church and state, from theocracies to the repression of religion * the ongoing search for spiritual certainty, and the consequent splintering of core religious beliefs and the development of new ones. One of the few recent books to examine religion’s role in geo-political affairs, its unique approach enables the reader to grasp the many and complex ways in which religion acts upon and reacts to broader global processes.

As A Million and One Gods shows, polytheism is considered a scandalous presence in societies oriented to Jewish, Christian, and Muslim beliefs. Yet it persists, even in the West, perhaps because polytheism corresponds to unconscious needs and deeply held values of tolerance, diversity, and equality that are central to civilized societies.

Series statement also appears as: The New concilium. Includes bibliographical references.

A selection of articles from "Interdisciplinary Journal of Research on Religion" that documents the pervasiveness of religion and demonstrates the complex ways faith remains important for societies all over the world.

This beautifully designed, full-color textbook offers a comprehensive introduction to the world's religions, including history, beliefs, worship practices, and contemporary expressions. Charles Farhadian, a seasoned teacher and recognized expert on world religions, provides an empathetic account that both affirms Christian uniqueness and encourages openness to various religious traditions. His nuanced, ecumenical perspective enables readers to appreciate both Christianity and the world's religions in new ways. The book highlights similarities, dissimilarities, and challenging issues for Christians and includes significant selections from sacred texts to enhance learning. Pedagogical features include sidebars, charts, key terms, an extensive glossary, over two hundred illustrations, and about a dozen maps. This book is supplemented with helpful web materials for both students and professors through Baker Academic's Textbook eSources. Resources include self quizzes, discussion questions, additional further readings, a sample syllabus, and a test bank.

A brief, beautiful invitation to the study of religion from a Pulitzer Prize winner. How did our forebears begin to think about religion as a distinct domain, separate from other activities that were once inseparable from it? Starting at the birth of Christianity—a religion inextricably bound to Western thought—Jack Miles reveals how the West’s “common sense” understanding of religion emerged and then changed as insular Europe discovered the rest of the world. In a moving postscript, he shows how this very story continues today in the hearts of individual religious or irreligious men and women.

In the nineteenth century, Nietzsche famously announced that God was dead. In the twentieth century, increasing reliance on science and technology led to a widespread rejection of belief on the grounds of its irrationality. Yet religion has not died. In fact, the opposite has occurred: it has persisted and proliferated. Despite the relentless pursuit of scientific advancement, in the twenty-first century we now see religious influence everywhere. In this wide-ranging dialogue, two leading commentators on religion address - from their different but complementary traditions of Christianity and Buddhism - the continuing appeal of spirituality to people eager to explore fundamental questions of meaning. The authors indicate that science, for all its benefits, has limits of explanation. It may be able to show how, but not necessarily why. Yet belief too must not go unchallenged, since, as Ikeda says, 'religion can become either a medicine or a poison'. What then is the proper role of religion in a world plagued by intolerance and extremism? The authors point to its place in dialogue, education and peacebuilding. They emphasise the centrality of non-violence, and the inspiring examples of Gandhi, Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela. In so doing they recount formative experiences of involvement in the civil rights movement and protest against Vietnam (Cox) and personal exposure to the misery and destruction of war (Ikeda). Their joint vision of a just and true religious sensibility makes a vital contribution to the fields of religion, peace studies and ethics.