Exploring the Spirituality of the World Religions : The Quest for Personal, Spiritual and Social Transformation

by Ferguson, Duncan S.

• ISBN13: 9781441146458
• ISBN10: 1441146458
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-08-24
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic

Summary

Spiritual Pathways of the World Religions is an insightful guide to the diverse ways that religious faith is practiced and spirituality is understood. Discussing contemporary issues such as post-modernism and the emergence of a "new paradigm," the new realities of geopolitics, globalization and global warming, this book explores the importance of religion in people's lives to provide direction in the society today. This book demonstrates the common quest among the world religions for a deeper and more profound spirituality. Describing the spiritual pathways of the various world religions, it assesses the ways that the beliefs, values and practices of these traditions can be life-giving, leading to personal and social responsibility and transformation, but also sometimes harmful and divisive, even used for dangerous purposes. Promoting constructive engagements between the world's religions, this book will connect social justice and ethical engagements with core religious practices and spiritualities. This is an ideal introductory text for students of world religions, spirituality and interfaith relations, broadening their understanding of these lived faiths.

Author Biography

Duncan S. Ferguson is an educator, author and consultant. He has served as Professor of Religious Studies and Director of the Center for Spiritual Life at Eckerd College, St Petersburg, Florida, USA. He received his Ph.D. from The University of Edinburgh, UK.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. ix
The Content and Approach to the Study of Spirituality
The Spiritual Quest	p. 3
The Spiritual Pathways Rooted in Nature and Culture
Indigenous Wisdom Traditions	p. 23
Classical Expressions of Culture-Based Religions	p. 41
Current Expressions of Nature/Culture Religion	p. 59
The Spiritual Pathways of Transcendent Monism
Spiritual Pathways within Hinduism	p. 81
Spiritual Pathways within Buddhism	p. 100
Spiritual Pathways within Confucianism and Taoism	p. 118
The Spiritual Pathways of the Abrahamic Monotheistic Religions
Spiritual Pathways within Judaism	p. 139
Spiritual Pathways within Christianity	p. 159
Spiritual Pathways within Islam	p. 177
The Common Elements of Life-Giving Spiritualities
Finding a Spiritual Pathway	p. 207
Notes	p. 219
Index	p. 235
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