Ways to the Center An Introduction to World Religions

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ISBN: 9780534519582 | 053451958X
Cover: Paperback
Copyright: 10/10/2001

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Providing comprehensive coverage, WAYS TO THE CENTER: AN INTRODUCTION TO WORLD RELIGIONS, FIFTH EDITION, weaves together rich historical, cultural, and theological detail into structural and philosophical sections that analyze each religion in terms of its views on nature, society, self and ultimate reality. The text is designed to facilitate critical thinking and is centered on how today's students learn.

Preface	p. xiii
What Is Religion?	p. 1
Definition of Religion	p. 1
Religion Versus Science?	p. 3
Religion Versus Other Values	p. 5
Components of Religion	p. 7
God or Gods?	p. 10
Religion Versus Government	p. 12
Sacred Writings	p. 15
Religious Roles	p. 17
Scholarly Approaches	p. 23
Tribal Religions	p. 29
Earliest Religion	p. 31
Common Themes in Tribal Religion	p. 33
The Sacred	p. 33
The Profane	p. 34
Animism	p. 35
Taboo	p. 35
Rites of Passage	p. 35
Sacrifice	p. 36
Magic	p. 37
Exorcism	p. 37
Healing	p. 38
Divination	p. 38
Creation Myths	p. 39
Tricksters	p. 39
Totems	p. 40
The High God	p. 40
Afterlife and Ancestors	p. 40
Megaliths	p. 41
The Shaman	p. 43
Australian Aborigines	p. 44
Inuits (Eskimos)	p. 48
Native Americans	p. 51
Africans	p. 55
Southeast Asians and Melanesians	p. 60
Polynesians	p. 61
Ainu	p. 62
Teutons	p. 64
Celts	p. 65
Religions of Ancient Civilizations	p. 67
Religious Themes	p. 71
Mesopotamia	p. 72
Case Study: Enuma Elish	p. 75
Case Study: Gilgamesh	p. 77
Egypt	p. 79
Iran	p. 84
New World Civilizations	p. 89
Hinduism	p. 99
History	p. 99
Pre-Vedic India	p. 99
Vedic India	p. 102
Case Study: The Isa Upanishad	p. 109
The Period of Native Challenge	p. 112
The Period of Reform and Elaboration	p. 118
Case Study: Stories from the Mahabharata	p. 119
The Period of Foreign Challenge	p. 124
Contemporary Hinduism: Popular Religion	p. 127
Worldview	p. 130
Nature	p. 130
Society	p. 132
Self	p. 134
Case Study: The Hindu Child	p. 136
Ultimate Reality	p. 137
Summary: The Hindu Center	p. 140
Judaism	p. 145
History	p. 146
The Biblical Period	p. 146
Case Study: Jeremiah	p. 151
Rabbinic Judaism	p. 155
The Medieval Period	p. 161
The Modern Period	p. 164
Case Study: Hasidic Tales	p. 165
Worldview	p. 169
Nature	p. 169
Society	p. 170
Case Study: Jewish Rituals	p. 172
Self	p. 175
Ultimate Reality	p. 177
Case Study: Jewish Prayer	p. 178
Summary: The Jewish Center	p. 181
China and Japan	p. 183
The History of China	p. 183
Preaxial Chinese Religion	p. 183
The Six Schools	p. 187
Case Study: The Cult of Confucius	p. 193
The Communist Era	p. 206
The Chinese Worldview	p. 208
Nature	p. 208
Society	p. 208
Self	p. 209
Ultimate Reality	p. 210
Summary: The Chinese Center	p. 211
The History of Japan	p. 212
The Ancient-Formative Period	p. 212
Japan's Modern-Reformative Period	p. 216
The Japanese Worldview	p. 219
Nature	p. 219
Society	p. 220
Self	p. 221
Ultimate Reality	p. 222
Summary: The Japanese Center	p. 223
Greek and Hellenistic Religion	p. 227
History	p. 227
The Earliest Religion	p. 228
The Olympian Pantheon	p. 229
Oracles and Divination	p. 233
The Older Mystery Cults	p. 233
Philosophy	p. 235
The Hellenistic Mystery Cults	p. 238
Worldview	p. 241
Nature and Ultimate Reality	p. 241
Society	p. 243
Women	p. 243
Self	p. 244
Summary: The Greek and Hellenistic Center	p. 247
Buddhism	p. 249
History	p. 249
Overview	p. 249
The Buddha	p. 250
The Dharma (Buddhist Doctrine)	p. 253
Early Buddhism	p. 256
Case Study: Theravada	p. 259
Mahayana	p. 260
Case Study: The Diamond Sutra	p. 262
Tantrism	p. 264
The Demise of Indian Buddhism	p. 268
Buddhism in China	p. 268
Buddhism in Japan	p. 274
Contemporary Buddhist Rituals	p. 277
Worldview	p. 279
Nature	p. 280
Society	p. 282
Self	p. 285
Ultimate Reality	p. 286
Case Study: Nagarjuna	p. 287
Summary: The Buddhist Center	p. 288
Christianity	p. 291
History	p. 291
Jesus	p. 291
Case Study: Jesus' Parables	p. 297
The Early Centuries	p. 300
The Conciliar Age	p. 304
Eastern Orthodox Churches	p. 312
The Medieval Period	p. 315
The Period of Reform	p. 317
Worldview	p. 322
Nature	p. 322
Society	p. 325
Self	p. 326
Ultimate Reality	p. 328
Summary: The Christian Center	p. 331
Islam	p. 333
History	p. 333
Muhammad	p. 334
Qur'anic Religion	p. 336
The Age of Conquest	p. 338
Case Study: Mary	p. 339
The Golden Civilization	p. 343
Case Study: Architecture and Poetry	p. 346
The Period of Division	p. 350
Late Empire and Modernity	p. 351
Case Study: Lessons from Recent Iran	p. 353
Worldview	p. 356
Nature	p. 356
Society	p. 357
Self	p. 361
Case Study: Islamic Rituals	p. 362
Case Study: Muslim Saints	p. 366
Ultimate Reality	p. 368
Summary: The Muslim Center	p. 371
Modern Times	p. 373
Enlightenment	p. 373
Demythologization	p. 374
Modern Science	p. 375
Liberalism	p. 377
The U.S. Situation	p. 378
Marxism	p. 379
Existentialism	p. 380
Worldview	p. 380
Nature and Divinity in Humanistic Perspective	p. 380
Society and Self in Humanistic Perspective	p. 381
Summary: The Humanistic Center	p. 383
Responses to Secularism	p. 384
The Great Awakening and the Great Revival	p. 384
Pentecostalism	p. 385
Christian Science	p. 386
Apocalypticism	p. 386
Jehovah's Witnesses	p. 387
Seventh Day Adventists	p. 387
Communistic Societies	p. 388
Mormonism	p. 388
Evangelicalism	p. 392
Ecumenism	p. 394
Cults	p. 395
Unity and Diversity	p. 398
Answers to Crossword Puzzles	p. 403
Glossary	p. 420
Annotated Bibliography	p. 438
Index	p. 448
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Ways to the Center An Introduction to World Religions

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