Features
- Cover Type: Paperback with 420 pages
- Published by: New World Library; Third Edition edition June 22, 2000
- Written in: English
- ISBN 10 Number: 1577311213
- ISBN 13 Number: 978-1577311218
-
Book Dimensions:
9.6 x 7.9 x 1.3 inches
- Weighs: 1.8 pounds
Product Review
This anthology of interfaith articles, essays, and resources has a multifold mission: First off, it is a well-presented primer, introducing readers to twenty of the world's religions and spiritual beliefs--Hinduism, Christianity, African Traditional Religion, Taoism, Wicca, and Nature Spirituality among them. Second, this carefully edited collection offers suggestions for becoming a more unified community, one that tolerates and respects the diversity of spiritual beliefs on the planet. Finally, it addresses the common ground amid all this diversity, such as respect for human rights, environmental responsibility, and creating a culture of peace.
Although the material is heady (e.g., discussions on "Scared Community at the Dawn of the Second Axial Age" and "Objectives of the 1893 World Parliament of Religions"), the essays are mostly written by accessible writers, such as Wayne Teasdale and Thomas Keating. Also, the editor, Joel Beversluis, offers great introductions to each submission, grounding readers in plenty of background, context, and insider's information.
--Gail Hudson
From Library Journal
Beversluis, editor and publisher of CoNexus Press, edited the first edition of this work (A Sourcebook for Earth's Community of Religions) for participants in the 1993 Parliament of the World's Religions. This third edition is the single best resource yet for information on the growing interfaith movement. The volume has four parts: "Who Are We?" introduces each religious tradition; "Becoming a Community of Religions" provides background on the history and purposes of interfaith dialog; "Choosing Our Future" focuses on the role of religion in creating a culture of peace, respect for the environment, and human rights; and "Selected Resources for the Community of Religions" provides Internet and organizational directories, as well as an index of major areas of focus. This volume lacks the occasional useful organization (e.g., the Bah '! International Community's Office for the Environment), but as a source for basic information on religions, international documents articulating a global ethics of cooperation among spiritual traditions, and primary areas of focus for each tradition, it is essential for all academic, public, and theological libraries.DWilliam P. Collins, Library of Congress
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Reader ReviewsI was somewhat disappointed with this book. I expected a clear comparison & contrast between various religious traditions, with criteria such as history, world populations, view of a god/goddess, moral rules, rituals, texts, etc. Of the 450 pages, less than 100 are dedicated to the descriptions of all the religions. Each tradition is described by a member of that specific religion, so there is little consistency across the chapters that describe the different religions. Each chapter's author determines how he/she describe their tradition, and what information is included. This book was inspired by the Parliament of World Religion meetings, and the majority of the discussion is on the Interfaith movement, and how religions can respond to environmentalism, human rights, and other modern dilemmas. In my opinion, a more accurate title of this book would be "Sourcebook of Interfaith Movement". I recommend Huston Smith's "The World Religions" if you are seeking an introduction to the world religious traditions (tenets, main beliefs, etc.).
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