The Religious World Communities of Faith

by Bush, Richard C.; Byrnes, Joseph F.

• ISBN13: 9780023175299
• ISBN10: 002317529X
• Edition: 3rd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1993-02-18
• Publisher: Pearson

Summary

Each of the Religious World's authors is a specialist in his or her field, which provides in-dpeth coverage of each tradition included.The book examines each of the major world religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, Christianity, the religions of China and Japan, and Native American and African religious traditions, in a straightforward, accessible manner.

Table of Contents

Introduction	1	(12)
Stating the Questions	2	(6)
Beginnings	2	(1)
Sacred Literature	3	(1)
Doctrines	4	(1)
Practice	4	(1)
Institutions and Organizations	5	(1)
Branches, Divisions, and Groups	6	(1)
Religion and Society	6	(1)
Goals	7	(1)
Religion Today	8	(1)
The Study of Religion: Problems and Approaches	8	(5)
Special Terms	9	(1)
Managing the Mass of Data	9	(1)
Appreciating the Cultural Context	9	(1)
Attempting to Understand Religious Experience	10	(1)
Appreciation and Criticism	11	(2)
Native American Religions	13	(24)
Beginnings	14	(1)
Beliefs in Supernatural and Natural Powers	15	(1)
A High God	15	(4)
Other Spirits and Powers	17	(1)
The Sacred Pipe	18	(1)
Rituals and Selected Practices	19	(7)
The Vision Quest	20	(2)
Healing Ceremonies	22	(2)
Agricultural Ceremonies	24	(1)
Ritual Expression and the Arts	24	(1)
Religion, Moral Conduct, and Society	24	(2)
Beliefs and Practices Relating to Death	26	(3)
Native American Religions in Contact and Transition	29	(3)
The Ghost Dance	29	(2)
Peyotism and the Native American Church	31	(1)
Native American Religion Today	32	(5)
African Religions	37	(24)
Beginnings	38	(2)
A Variety of Beliefs	40	(4)
The Spiritual Cosmos	41	(1)
The Divine Being	41	(1)
Lesser Gods, Ancestor Spirits, and Other Spirits	41	(1)
Sacred Spaces, Places, and Symbols	42	(1)
Concepts of Persons in Society	42	(2)
Religious Institutions	44	(4)
Sacred Kings	44	(2)
Prophetic Figures	46	(1)
Spiritual Intermediaries	46	(2)
Ritual Expression in Africa Religions	48	(5)
Rituals and the Stages of Life	48	(2)
Rituals Accompanying Hunting, Agricultural, and Pastoral Life	50	(1)
Communication with Ancestors	51	(1)
Ritual Expression and the Arts	51	(2)
Moral Conduct and Society	53	(1)
African Religions in Contact and in Transition	54	(1)
African Islam	54	(1)
African Christianity	55	(1)
African Influences in the Americas	56	(5)
African Religions Today	57	(4)
Hinduism	61	(66)
Indus Valley Culture	62	(2)
Beginning: Vedic Sources, 1500-500 B.C.E.	64	(9)
Vedic Religion: The Affirmation of the Value of Human Existence	64	(9)
Non-Vedic Sources, 500-200 B.C.E.	73	(7)
Encounter with Jainism: The Negation of the Value of Human Existence	75	(4)
Encounter with Buddhism: The Negation of the Value of Human Existence	79	(1)
Classical and Medieval Hinduism	80	(25)
The Amalgamation of the Vedic World-Affirming and the Non-Vedic World-Negating Values	80	(1)
Hinduism as Participation: The Religious Organization of Life	80	(6)
Hinduism as Withdrawal: The Religious Release from Life	86	(19)
The Encounter of Hinduism with Islam	105	(5)
The Establishment of Islam in India	105	(1)
Relations between Hindus and Muslims	106	(2)
Religious Developments Under Muslim Rule	108	(2)
The Sikhs	110	(1)
The Modern Encounter of Hinduism with the West	111	(6)
Four Modern Hindu Movements	113	(4)
Hinduism Today	117	(10)
Buddhism	127	(72)
Beginnings	128	(3)
Background	128	(1)
The Founder	129	(2)
Sacred Texts	131	(2)
From Oral to Written Form	131	(1)
Structure and Context of the Texts	132	(1)
Early Buddhist Doctrine	133	(5)
The Nature of Human Existence	134	(2)
The Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path	136	(1)
Karma and Dependent Origination	136	(2)
The Final Goal: Nirvana	138	(1)
The Practice of Buddhism	138	(6)
Devotional and Ritual Practice	139	(2)
The Moral Life	141	(3)
Relations Between Monks and the Laity	144	(4)
The Order of Monks	144	(2)
The Way of Life for the Laity	146	(2)
Theravada and Mahayana	148	(2)
Basic Teachings of Mahayana Buddhism	150	(6)
Primary Sacred Texts	151	(1)
Major Mahayana Teachings	152	(2)
Mahayana Philosophical Schools	154	(2)
Buddhism in China	156	(16)
The Initial Problem of Relating to Chinese Culture	156	(5)
Buddhist Thought and Life in China	161	(6)
Developments in the Monastic Order and Among the Laity	167	(5)
Buddhism in Japan	172	(10)
Early Developments	172	(1)
Doctrine and Practice in the Japanese Buddhist Schools	173	(9)
The Japanese Contribution to Buddhism	182	(1)
Buddhism in Tibet	182	(7)
Buddhism Today	189	(10)
Buddhism Today in Theravada Areas	189	(1)
Mahayana Areas and the West	190	(9)
Religion in China and Japan	199	(52)
Religion in China	199	(1)
Beginnings	200	(5)
From Earliest Times, a Focus on Ancestors	200	(2)
The Lord Above and the Concept of Heaven	202	(1)
Earth and Fertility	202	(1)
Divination and Other Practices	203	(2)
The Confucian Approach to Religion in China	205	(5)
The Confucian Literature	206	(1)
The Life and Teachings of Confucius	206	(2)
Mencius the Idealist	208	(1)
Orthodox Confucian Practice	209	(1)
Taoist Patterns of Religion in China	210	(9)
Early Taoist Philosophy	210	(4)
The Shift to Religion in Taoist Texts	214	(1)
Taoist Practices, Groups, and Leaders	215	(4)
Folk Religion and Society	219	(1)
Devotion Based on Function	220	(1)
Deified Heros and Heroines	220	(5)
The Trend Toward Harmony and Unity	222	(3)
Chinese Religion and the Modern World	225	(3)
Modern Religio-Politial Movements	225	(1)
Foreign Religions in China	226	(2)
Religion in China Today	228	(4)
Religion in Japan	232	(1)
Beginnings	233	(1)
Shinto Mythology and Beliefs	233	(3)
Shinto Institutions and Rituals	236	(5)
Shinto Priests	236	(1)
Shinto Shrines	236	(2)
Shinto Festivals	238	(1)
Historical Developments in Shinto	238	(3)
Christianity in Japan	241	(1)
New Religions in Japan	241	(4)
Tenri-kyo	243	(1)
P. L. Kyodan	243	(1)
Rissho Kosai Kai	243	(1)
Soka-Gakkai	244	(1)
The Omoto Group	244	(1)
Ittoen	245	(1)
Religion in Japan Today	245	(6)
Judaism	251	(50)
Beginnings	251	(5)
Ethnic Background	251	(1)
Patriarchal Religion	252	(1)
Moses and the Exodus from Egypt	253	(3)
Early Development	256	(8)
Pre-exilic History, 1250-586 B.C.E.	256	(1)
Religion and Culture	256	(6)
Exilic and Postexilic Development, 586 B.C.E.---135 C.E.	262	(2)
Religious Literature	264	(6)
The Hebrew Scriptures	264	(4)
The Talmud	268	(1)
Additional Literature	269	(1)
Doctrines and Confessional Statements	270	(5)
Early Confessional Statements	270	(1)
Basic Biblical Concepts	271	(3)
Creeds of Medieval and Recent Judaism	274	(1)
The Practice of Judaism	275	(8)
Rituals and Worship	275	(2)
Festivals and Sacred Seasons	277	(5)
Ethics and Society	282	(1)
Divisions and Groups	283	(12)
Early Alternative Emphases	284	(1)
Groups in Early Judaism	285	(1)
Medieval Movements	286	(4)
Modern Divisions	290	(5)
Goals for Believers	295	(6)
Christianity	301	(60)
Beginnings	302	(10)
The Jewish World	302	(2)
The Life and Message of Jesus	304	(1)
New Testament Interpretations of Jesus' Message	305	(6)
Persecution and the Spread of Christianity	311	(1)
Sacred Literature	312	(5)
Letters and Gospels	312	(3)
Context for the Development of the New Testament	315	(1)
Later Development of the Canon	316	(1)
Practice	317	(4)
Weekly and Annual Cycles of Worship	317	(1)
Baptism and Eucharist	317	(3)
Liturgical Architecture	320	(1)
Doctrine	321	(5)
The Earliest Theologians	321	(1)
Teachings of the Councils of the Church	322	(1)
Arianism and the Council of Nicaea (325)	322	(1)
Nestorianism and Monophysitism	323	(1)
Augustine of Hippo: Divine Grace and Human Freedom	324	(2)
Institutions and Organization	326	(4)
Original ``Gifts'' and Subsequent ``Orders''	326	(1)
The Authority of Bishops	327	(1)
Development of Papal Authority	328	(1)
Monasticism	328	(2)
Branches, Divisions, and Groups	330	(18)
Earlier Divisions	330	(1)
The Two Empires	331	(1)
The Rise and Fall of Western Christendom	332	(5)
The Protestant Reformation	337	(9)
Roman Catholic Counter-Reformation	346	(2)
Religion and the Formation of Modern Society	348	(13)
The Enlightenment and Its Renaissance Foundations	348	(3)
The Age of Revolution	351	(4)
Christian Missions and the Third World	355	(6)
Islam	361	(52)
Beginnings: Arabia Before Islam	362	(2)
The Life of Muhammad	364	(4)
The Early Years in Mecca	364	(2)
The Years in Medina	366	(1)
The Death and Significance of Muhammad	366	(2)
The Quran	368	(2)
Quranic Teachings: Fundamental Beliefs	370	(4)
Tawhid, the Unity of God	370	(1)
Communication from God	371	(1)
Creations of God	372	(1)
Ummah: The Community of Muslims	373	(1)
Quranic Teachings: Major Practices	374	(7)
Shahadah, the Profession of Faith	374	(1)
Salat, Dhikr, and Du'a: Acts of Worship	374	(3)
Zakat, Purification Through Sharing	377	(1)
Ramadan, the Month of Fasting	378	(1)
Hajj, the Pilgrimage	378	(3)
Other Significant Practices and Places	381	(1)
Life in the Ummah: Social, Political, and Moral Order	381	(4)
The Shariah	382	(1)
The ``Model'' Muslim City	383	(1)
Family Life and Housing in the City	384	(1)
Groups in Islam	385	(11)
The Kharijites (Khwarij)	386	(1)
The Shia	386	(3)
The Sunnis	389	(3)
The Muslim Philosophers	392	(2)
The Sufis	394	(2)
Islam in Contact and in Transition	396	(7)
Islam and the Medieval West	396	(3)
Islam, Africa, and Asia	399	(2)
The Period of the Great Empires	401	(2)
Developments under European Rule and Influence	403	(5)
Islam in the Americas	407	(1)
Islam in the Contemporary World	408	(5)
New Religions in America	413	(20)
Fundamental Features of the New Religions	413	(1)
Religion in America	414	(1)
Nineteenth-Century Foundations	414	(9)
Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints	414	(5)
Church of Christ, Scientist	419	(2)
Jehovah's Witnesses	421	(2)
Twentieth-Century Foundations	423	(10)
International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON)	423	(3)
Unification Church	426	(2)
Significance of Twentieth-Century Cults	428	(1)
Old American Cultic Traditions	429	(4)
Enduring Questions and Quests	433	(12)
Human Questions and Quests	433	(2)
Religion and the Questions(s) of Meaning	435	(2)
A Variety of Perspectives on Religious Meaning	437	(8)
Life's Questions and Religious Meaning	438	(2)
Religious Meaning in a Pluralistic Religious World	440	(5)
Index	445