Religions of Asia Today

by Esposito, John L.; Fasching, Darrell J.; Lewis, Todd

• ISBN13: 9780199759491
• ISBN10: 0199759499
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2011-11-15
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

Ideal for courses in Asian/Eastern religions,Religions of Asia Today,Second Edition, covers the same material contained in the authors' longer textbook,World Religions Today,Fourth Edition, while also featuringa unique chapter on Islam in Asia. Religions of Asia Today,Second Edition, reveals the significance of religion in contemporary life. Hinduism, Buddhism, East Asian Religions, Islam in Asia, indigenous religions, and new religions are explored as dynamic, ongoing forces in the lives of individuals and in the collective experience of modern societies.This unique volume accomplishes two goals: it connects today's Asian religions to their classical beliefs and practices and focuses on how these religions have responded to and been transformed by the modern world.The authors combine thorough coverage of the historical background of each religion with up-to-the-minute discussions of its current practices. This volume is enhanced by numerous pedagogical aids--text boxes, timelines, maps, discussion questions, a comprehensive glossary of key terms, and suggestions for further reading--and more than 100 photographs and illustrations. NEW TO THIS EDITION: * Updates throughoutthat cover more aspects of the current international situation and developments in religious life around the world * "Rituals and Rites" boxesexamining rituals that have changed in practice or meaning over time * "Gender Focus" boxesthat highlight gender-specific customs within each faith * A revised and updated Instructor's Manual and Test Bank on CDcontaining overviews, learning goals, and summaries for each chapter; lecture outlines; PowerPoint-based lecture slides; fill-in-the-blank, multiple-choice, and true/false test questions; sample essay/discussion questions; flash cards of key terms; and suggested reading, viewing, and links * An updated Companion Website at www.oup.com/us/espositofeaturing all of the material on the Instructor's Manual and additional resources for students ALSO AVAILABLE TO SUIT YOUR COURSE NEEDS: World Religions Today,Fourth Edition (978-0-19-975951-4) Religions of the West Today,Second Edition (978-0-19-975950-7)

Author Biography

John L. Esposito is University Professor, Professor of Religion and International Affairs, Professor of Islamic Studies, and Founding Director of the Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University. Darrell J. Fasching is Professor of Religious Studies at the University of South Florida. Todd Lewis is Professor of World Religions at the College of the Holy Cross.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. xi
Introduction	p. 3
Globalization: World Religions in Everyone's Hometown	p. 3
Why Study World Religions?	p. 5
Our Task	p. 6
Understanding Religious Experience and Its Formative Elements	p. 7
The Great Religious Stories of the World	p. 18
Historical Overview: From Premodern to Postmodern	p. 25
The Modern/Postmodern Transition: Colonialism, the Socialist Challenge, and the End of Modernity	p. 29
Postmodern Trends in a Postcolonial World	p. 33
Conclusion: We Are All Heretics in the Postmodern Situating	p. 34
Discussion Questions	p. 34
Key Terms	p. 35
Notes	p. 35
Indigenous Religions	p. 37
Overview	p. 37
Origins of Homo religiosus: Prehistory	p. 38
Religion's Origins Among Hunter-Gatherers	p. 41
Indigenous Religious Traditions: Soul Belief and Afterlife	p. 48
Shamans: "Technicians of the Sacred"	p. 54
Indigenous Religions Today	p. 62
Conclusion	p. 70
Discussion Questions	p. 71
Key Terms	p. 72
Suggested Readings	p. 72
Notes	p. 73
Additional Resources	p. 73
Hinduism and Other South Asian Religions: Myriad Paths to Liberation	p. 75
Overview	p. 75
Defining Hinduism: Unity, Diversity, Localities	p. 76
Encounter with Modernity: Hindu Challenges to India as a Secular State	p. 79
Premodern Hinduism: The Formative Era	p. 82
Premodern Hinduism: The Classical Era (180 bce-900 CE)	p. 90
Premodern Hinduism: The Postclassical Era (900 ce-1500 CE)	p. 102
Hinduism and Modernity	p. 110
Hinduism and Postmodern Trends in a PostcolonialWorld	p. 121
Hindu Festival Practice	p. 133
The Religious Institutions of Contemporary Hinduism	p. 141
Conclusion	p. 161
Discussion Questions	p. 164
Key Terms	p. 165
Suggested Readings	p. 166
Notes	p. 167
Additional Resources	p. 167
Buddhism: Paths Toward Nirvana	p. 169
Overview	p. 169
Encounter with Modernity: Socially "Engaged Buddhism"	p. 171
Premodern Buddhism: The Formative Era (600 bce-100 CE)	p. 176
Premodern Buddhism: The Classical Era (100-800 CE)	p. 190
Premodern Buddhism: Buddhist Expansion (400-1500 CE)	p. 205
Buddhism and Modernity	p. 211
Buddhism and Postmodern Trends in a Postcolonial World	p. 225
Conclusion	p. 250
Discussion Questions	p. 252
Key Terms	p. 253
Suggested Readings	p. 254
Notes	p. 255
Additional Resources	p. 255
East Asian Religions: Traditions of Human Cultivation and Natural Harmony	p. 257
Overview	p. 257
Geographical Orientation	p. 259
Encounter with Modernity: The Fall and Return of Confucianism	p. 262
East Asian Religions in the Formative Era (1500 bce-200 CE)	p. 266
East Asian Religions in the Early Modern Era	p. 296
East Asian Religions and Postmodern Trends in a Postcolonial World	p. 307
Conclusion: Have We Entered a Third Confucian Age?	p. 339
Discussion Questions	p. 344
Key Terms	p. 345
Suggested Readings	p. 345
Notes	p. 346
Additional Resources	p. 347
Islam in Asia	p. 349
Overview	p. 349
The Dawn of Islam in Asia	p. 352
The Islamic Tradition	p. 355
Jihad	p. 366
The Challenge of European Colonialism	p. 367
Conclusion	p. 380
Discussion Questions	p. 380
Key Terms	p. 381
Suggested Readings	p. 381
Notes	p. 382
Additional Resources	p. 382
Globalization: From New to New Age Religions	p. 385
Overview	p. 385
Encounter with Modernity: The Challenge of Global Diversity to the "Purity" of Tradition	p. 387
New Religions	p. 388
New Age Religions	p. 395
Conclusion: The Postmodern Challenge-Can There Be a Global Ethic in a World of Religious Diversity?	p. 409
Discussion Questions	p. 422
Suggested Readings	p. 422
Notes	p. 423
Additional Resources	p. 423
Glossary G-1
Art Credits A-1
Index I-1
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