Discovering World Religions: A Guide For The Inquiring Reader

Knowledge of the world’s religions can lead to a discovery of common ground and shared global perspectives among people of different faiths. It can move people to unite and identify the world’s most pressing needs, enabling them to create plans to reduce violence, fight hunger, alleviate poverty, and promote justice and fairness for all peoples. A first step in this direction is learning about world religions.

In Discovering World Religions, author Gabriel J. Gomes provides a comprehensive overview of a wide range of world religions, including Native American, African traditional, Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism, Shinto, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and more. This thorough investigation

• traces the origins and evolution of the major traditions of these world religions;
• provides deeper analyses and interpretation of their essential beliefs and teachings;
• outlines their practices;
• presents their ethical standpoints;
• discusses their main institutions, organizations, and actions;
• examines the original experiences that gave rise to a number of religions;
• follows the teachings on the sacred in each religion;
• reviews the status of women in each religion; and
• explains the challenges modern and postmodern worlds have presented to religions and how most of them have responded.Seeking to provide a solid understanding of each religion, Discovering World Religions presents a guide through the maze of myriad beliefs and practices as part of a cultural system that both shapes and in turn is shaped by it.