Living Religions

by Fisher, Mary Pat

• ISBN13: 9780130618092
• ISBN10: 0130618098
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2002-01-01
• Publisher: Pearson College Div

Summary

For courses in World Religions, Comparative Religions, or Introduction to Religion. This concise edition provides a sympathetic approach to what is living and significant in the religions of the modern world. This brief survey explores the historical development and teachings of traditional faiths, indigenous religions and new religious movements, and considers how each of these has evolved into contemporary beliefs and practices.

Table of Contents

The Religious Response	16	(9)
Why Are There Religions?	16	(3)
Understandings of Ultimate Reality	19	(1)
Worship, Symbol, and Myth	20	(1)
Absolutist and Liberal Interpretations	21	(1)
Angels Weep	22	(1)
The Negative Side of Organized Religion	23	(1)
Suggested Reading	24	(1)
Indigenous Sacred Ways	25	(21)
Barriers to Understanding	25	(2)
Cultural Diversity	27	(1)
The Circle of Right Relationships	28	(6)
Relationships with spirit	29	(1)
Kinship with all creation	30	(2)
Relationships with power	32	(2)
Spiritual Specialists	34	(4)
Storytellers and other sacred roles	34	(1)
Shamans	35	(3)
Living Indigenous Sacred Ways: An Interview with Nadezhda Ananyevna Stepanova	38	(1)
Contemporary Rituals	39	(3)
Group observances	39	(2)
Individual observances	41	(1)
Contemporary Issues	42	(2)
Religion in Public Life - Winona LaDuke	44	(1)
Suggested Reading	45	(1)
Hinduism	46	(29)
Harappan Civilization	47	(1)
Vedic Religion	47	(10)
Fire sacrifices and the cosmic order	50	(1)
Castes and social duties	51	(1)
Philosophy of the Upanishads	52	(1)
Bhakti in the epics and Puranas	53	(4)
Spiritual Disciplines	57	(3)
The guru	57	(1)
Yogic practices	57	(3)
Major Theistic Cults	60	(1)
Living Hinduism: An Interview with Sarala Chakrabarty	61	(4)
Saktas	61	(2)
Saivites	63	(1)
Vaishnavites	64	(1)
Major Philosophical Systems	65	(1)
Samkhya	65	(1)
Advaita Vedanta	65	(1)
Popular Forms of Worship	66	(3)
Devotions and rituals	66	(1)
Festivals	67	(2)
Hinduism in the Modern World	69	(3)
Global Hinduism	70	(1)
Hindu exclusivism vs. universalism	71	(1)
Religion in Public Life - Dr. Karan Singh	72	(2)
Suggested Reading	74	(1)
Buddhism	75	(28)
The Life of the Buddha	75	(3)
The Dharma	78	(6)
The basic facts of existence	79	(1)
The Eightfold Path of liberation	80	(2)
The wheel of birth and death	82	(1)
Nirvana	83	(1)
Buddhism South and North	84	(4)
Theravada: the path of mindfulness	84	(3)
Mahayana: the path of compassion and metaphysics	87	(1)
Living Buddhism: An Interview with Komkai Charoensuk	88	(5)
Vajrayana: indestructible way to unity	91	(2)
Religion in Public Life - His Holiness the Dalai Lama	93	(5)
Zen: the great way of enlightenment	94	(2)
Pure Land: calling on Amida Buddha	96	(1)
Nichiren: salvation through the Lotus Sutra	97	(1)
Buddhism in the West	98	(2)
Socially Engaged Buddhism	100	(1)
Suggested Reading	101	(2)
Taoism and Confucianism	103	(22)
Ancient Traditions	103	(3)
Taoism - The Way of Nature and Immortality	106	(7)
Teachings of Taoist sages	106	(3)
Immortals Taoism	109	(3)
Popular Taoism today	112	(1)
Confucianism - The Practice of Virtue	113	(8)
Master K'ung's life	114	(1)
The Confucian virtues	115	(2)
Divergent followers of Confucius	117	(1)
The state cult	118	(1)
Confucianism under communism	119	(2)
Living Confucianism: An Interview with Ann-ping Chin	121	(3)
Confucianism in East Asia	123	(1)
Suggested Reading	124	(1)
Shinto	125	(11)
The Essence of Shinto	125	(6)
Kinship with nature	125	(1)
Honoring the kami	126	(1)
Shrines	127	(1)
Ceremonies	128	(1)
Purification	129	(1)
Festivals	130	(1)
Buddhist and Confucian Influences	131	(2)
State Shinto	131	(2)
Living Shinto: An Interview with Hitoshi Iwasaki	133	(1)
Shinto Today	134	(1)
Suggested Reading	135	(1)
Judaism	136	(36)
A History of the Jewish People	136	(19)
Biblical stories	137	(7)
Return to Jerusalem	144	(2)
Rabbinic Judaism	146	(2)
Judaism in the Middle Ages	148	(2)
Kabbalah and Hasidism	150	(1)
American Judaism	151	(1)
Holocaust	152	(1)
Zionism	153	(2)
Torah	155	(4)
The One God	155	(1)
Love for God	156	(1)
The sacredness of human life	156	(1)
Law	157	(1)
Suffering and faith	158	(1)
Sacred Practices	159	(1)
Living Judaism: an Interview with Herman Taube	160	(3)
Holy Days	163	(2)
Contemporary Judaism	165	(1)
Major branches today	165	(1)
Religion in Public Life - Janice Perlman	166	(4)
Jewish feminism	168	(1)
Jewish renewal	169	(1)
Suggested Reading	170	(2)
Christianity	172	(51)
The Christian Bible	172	(2)
The Life and Teachings of Jesus	174	(3)
Birth	174	(1)
Preparation	174	(1)
Ministry	175	(2)
Living Christianity: An Interview with David Vandiver	177	(7)
Challenges to the authorities	180	(2)
Crucifixion	182	(1)
Resurrection	183	(1)
The Early Church	184	(5)
From persecution to empire	185	(2)
Evolving organization and theology	187	(2)
Early monasticism	189	(1)
The Eastern Orthodox Church	189	(5)
The history of the Orthodox Church	189	(1)
The Russian Orthodox Church	190	(2)
The Orthodox world today	192	(1)
Distinctive features of Orthodox spirituality	192	(2)
Medieval Roman Catholicism	194	(3)
Papal power	194	(1)
Intellectual revival and monasticism	195	(1)
Medieval mysticism	196	(1)
The Protestant Reformation	197	(4)
The Roman Catholic Reformation	201	(1)
The Impact of the Enlightenment	202	(1)
The Second Vatican Council	203	(1)
Central Beliefs in Contemporary Christianity	204	(2)
Sacred Practices	206	(7)
Worship services and sacraments	206	(2)
The liturgical year	208	(2)
Contemplative prayer	210	(1)
Devotion to Mary	211	(2)
Veneration of saints and angels	213	(1)
Contemporary Trends	213	(4)
Evangelicalism	215	(1)
Charismatics	215	(1)
Cultural broadening	216	(1)
Religion in Public Life - Archbishop Desmond Tutu	217	(4)
Liberation theology	218	(1)
Feminist theology	218	(2)
Creation-centered Christianity	220	(1)
Ecumenical movement	220	(1)
Suggested Reading	221	(2)
Islam	223	(33)
The Prophet Muhammad	223	(5)
The Qur'an	228	(1)
The Central Teachings	229	(2)
The Oneness of God and of humanity	230	(1)
Religion in Public Life - Farid Esack	231	(3)
Prophethood and the compass of Islam	232	(1)
Human relationship to the divine	232	(1)
The unseen life	233	(1)
The Last Judgment	233	(1)
The Sunni-Shi'ite Split	234	(3)
Sunnis	235	(1)
Shi'ites	236	(1)
Sufism	237	(2)
The Five Pillars and Jihad	239	(1)
Living Islam: An Interview with Khaled Aly Khaled	240	(5)
Belief and witness	241	(1)
Daily prayers	241	(1)
Zakat	242	(1)
Fasting	242	(1)
Hajj	243	(1)
Jihad	244	(1)
The Spread of Islam	245	(3)
Islamic culture	246	(1)
Eastward expansion	247	(1)
Relationships with the West	248	(2)
Islam in the United States	249	(1)
Muslim Resurgence	250	(4)
Return to Shari'ah	250	(2)
Outreach and education	252	(1)
Islam in politics	252	(2)
Islam for the future	254	(1)
Suggested Reading	254	(2)
Sikhism	256	(13)
The Sant Tradition	256	(1)
Guru Nanak	257	(1)
The Succession of Gurus	258	(3)
Central Beliefs	261	(2)
Sacred Practices	263	(2)
Religion in Public Life - His Holiness Baba Virsa Singh	265	(1)
Sikhism Today	266	(1)
Living Sikhism: An Interview with G. S. Jauhal	267	(1)
Suggested Reading	268	(1)
Religion at the Turn of the Century	269	(19)
New Religious Movements	269	(1)
Apocalyptic Expectations	270	(2)
Supernatural Powers and Revelations	272	(1)
Offshoots and Combinations of Older Religions	272	(1)
Natural Spirituality	273	(2)
Universalist Religions	275	(1)
Religious Pluralism	276	(2)
Hardening of religious boundaries	276	(2)
Interfaith Movement	278	(5)
Responses to other faiths	279	(1)
Interfaith initiatives	280	(3)
Religion and Social Issues	283	(1)
Religion and Materialism	284	(2)
Religion and the Future of Humanity	286	(1)
Suggested Reading	286	(2)
Notes	288	(12)
Glossary	300	(10)
Index	310

Excerpts

Religion is not a museum piece. At the dawn of the twenty-first century, it is a vibrant force in the lives of many people around the world, and many religions are presently experiencing a renaissance. Living Religions: A Brief Introduction,which is a brief edition of Living Religions, fourth edition, remains a sympathetic approach to what is living and significant in the world's major religious traditions and in various new movements that are arising. This book provides a clear and straightforward account of the development, doctrines, and practices of the major faiths followed today. The emphasis throughout is on the personal consciousness of believers and their own accounts of their religion and its relevance in contemporary life. Special features The seven feature boxes on "Religion in Public Life" portray the Spiritual roots of people who are making significant contributions to society. They include indigenous environmental activist Winona LaDuke, Hindu statesman and interfaith leader Dr. Karan Singly His Holiness the Dalai Lama whose political efforts on behalf of Tibet are undergirded by Buddhist principles, social activist Dr. Janice Penman whose Jewish roots have developed her compassion for marginalized people, Dr. Desmond Tutu and Dr. Farid Esack, who as a faithful Christian and a faithful Muslim, respectively, have played significant roles in South Africa's freedom movement and subsequent rebuilding, and His Holiness Baba Virsa Singly who draws on the universal themes in Sikh tradition to encourage open-mindedness and altruism among Indian public figures. The socio-political context of the contemporary practice of religions includes an exploration of Hindu nationalism, Buddhist social activism, Confucianism in today's China, Judaism in today's Israel, Islam and the development of nation-states, and Sikh politics. There is significant coverage of women in religion. Personal interviews with followers of each faith provide first-person accounts of each religion as perceived from within the tradition. These are presented at length in boxes and also in excerpts woven throughout the text. The book incorporates extensive quotations from primary sources to give a direct perception of the thinking and flavor of each tradition. Particularly memorable brief quotations are set off in boxes. Three chapters in this book are quite unique. One is the first chapter, "The Religious Response," which explores perspectives on religion in general. These include skeptical materialistic views and psychological perspectives, as well as the point of view that religions are responses to a sacred Reality which cannot be physically perceived but which can perhaps be experienced inwardly. The chapter also includes an exploration of the role of myth and varying types of religious understanding, including contemporary tensions between absolutist and liberal interpretations. The second chapter portrays the little-understood indigenous religions. I have tried to bypass misleading accounts of indigenous traditions written by outsiders, and to get at the heart of how real people experience their close-to-nature spiritual ways. As we face the possibility of ecological collapse and urban residents feel increasingly alienated from the natural world, it is especially important that these surviving followers of the ancient ways be heard correctly. The chapter includes contemporary efforts to revive the traditional knowledge and practices. Chapter 11 explores the global religious scene at the turn of the twentieth century. It discusses some types of new religious movements of the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries and issues which have arisen with their development, such as opposition from previously established religions. This chapter also surveys global trends found in all religions, including both an increase in "fundamentalist" rigidities and a softening of historical boundari