Product Description

An overview of not only the worlds major religions, but scores of non-scriptural, cultural and ancient religions also.
New coverage of African, Asian and South American religions as well as some ancient religions. Expanded coverage of earth-based and non-scriptural religions, such as neo paganism and Native American traditions.
Book appeals to not only those with an interest in gaining on overview of a new areas, but those who need an academic reference.
Expert author and writing team with religious credentials and previous series experience. Whether an interested bystander or a student of comparative religion, The Complete Idiots Guide® to World Religions, Second Edition is the perfect companion. The book features comprehensive overviews of the biggest religions in our world such as Hinduism and Christianity and overview sections on everything from Shinto to neo-paganism. Coverage includes- why learning about other faiths matters; different names and familiar ideas; multiple chapters on of Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism; Asian religions such as Taoism, Confucianism and Shinto; ancient religions such Egyptians, Druids, Aztecs and Incas; non-scriptural nature religions from Africa, North America and island cultures; and new modes of worship for contemporary believers
Brandon Toropov is a Boston-based writer who has appeared on more than 100 local and national broadcast programs. He is the author of The Complete Idiots Guide® to Getting Along with Difficult People and The I Ching for Beginners. Father Luke Buckles is the Vice Chancellor of the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology in Berkeley, California. He has a Doctorate in Sacred Theology.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1010629 in Books
• Published on: 2003-01-23
• Released on: 2003-01-23
• Binding: Paperback
• 1 pages

About the Author

Brandon Toropov is a Boston-based writer who has appeared on more than 100 local and national broadcast programs. He is the author of The Complete Idiot's Guide(r) to Getting Along with Difficult People and I Ching for Beginners.

Father Luke Buckles teaches at the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology in Berkeley, California. He has a doctorate in Sacred Theology.

Customer Reviews

Good introduction to most major religions.
Good reading material for a book study club. Well written and well explained. Wish that it could have been a little less American oriented but nevertheless a good book to keep for reference.

Knowledge In A Knutshell
Do you know what "Tet" means.?

What are the "7 Pillars of Wisdom?"

Who, or what, is the Buddah?

Was Christ a Prophet or a misguided madman?

Just what is "scripture?"

This lovely book, compact and easy reading, will answer all those questions. On the other hand, this little book, and it's only 289 pages, including the index, will tell you more than you ever wanted to know about religion. It might even inspire you to learn more about a religion you didn't know much about. It spells out cleanly and evenly the precepts of Islam. It tells you concisely and nicely about Judiasm. It even gives a bit of an overview of Buhdiasm. And in less than 300 pages.

The book is tolerant, knowledgeable, and fun to read.

The book is reverant to all, humble, and admits it is not the last word. . .

READ THIS BOOK. Discover how God makes Him/Herself known.

And begin your own journey.

While standing on one foot...
My one fear with the Dummies and Complete Idiot's Guide series is that these are sometimes seen as endpoints rather than beginnings. As Hillel said when giving his answer to the question 'What is Judaism?' while standing on one foot, there are some basic truths to any religion, and the rest is commentary, but one should read that commentary!

For adolescents in high school, for college undergraduates, and for those who have little to no exposure with religions of the world, The Complete Idiot's Guide to the World's Religions by Brandon Toropov and Fr. Luke Buckles provides a good if brief overview of the major religions and sects in the world today. This is not a history text per se, and the book does not go into ancient religions that are no longer practiced, nor does it spend much time on small groups and religious communities that dot the religious landscape of the world today. This is religion painted with broad brush strokes, and the limitations of such an approach should be noted accordingly.

That being said, it is a wonderfully readable text, and a great tool for organising presentations or further self-study, as well as a sort of Cliff's Notes to the religions of the world. There is an introductory section, a section on each of the major religions or religious groupings (more on this later), and a concluding section on recent trends and scriptures.

The Checklist
Like all Complete Idiot's Guides, this one begins with a two page card summary of high points for study and consideration. Why should you care about this information? What are key differences and similarities? It has a section in which it encapsulates each of the major religions in a brief sentence - every religion of the world while standing on one foot!

Part 1: Opening Up to Other Traditions
This section gives a brief overview of the reasons why it is important to understand other faiths. Whether we are talking about our neighbours next door or people around the world, there are things we can learn, even if it will not be information used in our own spiritual development. However, sometimes seeing how other people pray, worship, and understand the divine, ethics, and spiritual practices can give us renewed insight and vigour in our own approaches.

Also covered in this section is the importance of language and status. What one says as an 'insider' is very different from what one might say as an 'outsider'. This is basic human nature; I might be able to criticise members of my family, but will take it as an insult if others outside the family do so. Applying this principle to something like the Gospel stories, we can see that the anti-Pharisaic and anti-Jewish language in some passages can sound very different if it is understood as an 'in-the-family' kind of criticism rather than a slap from those outside.

Parts 2 through 7 address the 'traditional' religions of Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism, as well as the Asian traditions of Confucianism, Taoism, and Shinto. Each section looks at the history, diversity of current practice, and basic principles that will carry the traditions into the future. These present fairly basic and standard presentations of these religions, but do so in an engaging way, so that learning is facilitated by the text and additions.

Part 8: Old Paths, New Paths
In looking at old paths, the authors look very briefly at nature and naturalistic religions in North America and Africa, many of which are still practiced in various ways, but which lack any kind of codification based on historical or scriptural texts. The continuity of such religions becomes an article of faith.

In looking at new paths, they explore different paths such as the New Age movement, and the six new faiths they consider worth watching into the next century. These include The Nation of Islam (not to be confused with Islam itself), the Krishna society, Transcendental Meditation, Neo-Paganism, the Baha'i faith, and Santeria. Some of these are actively recruiting members; others such as the Baha'i grow even with a prohibition against proselytising. The criteria for why these are selected is discussed, as is the reminder that each of these religions is larger in numbers and in scope than was first-century Christianity.

Finally, the authors look at the issue of scripture and scriptural authority for each of the religions examined, areas of common ground and pitfalls of confusion.

Appendices
The first appendix is a wonderful collection of quotes about religion, God, ethics and other spiritual topics collected by the authors. These are presented in a graphically interesting way which actually make good posters if photocopied and enlarged.

The second appendix is a bibliography of scriptures, source texts and worship aids for each of the religions examined.

One thing I like is that at the end of chapters or sections, the Complete Idiot's Guides will give you a short list of things you must absolutely know in order to not sound stupid. That, for more of us than probably care to admit it, is a great aid and necessary first step toward carrying on intelligent conversations about the world's religions.

Again it must be emphasised that while this is a broad overview, it is far from comprehensive. Its goal is not to be comprehensive and complete, but to be a broad introduction to the major topics discussed. Presented in a lively and graphically-interesting way, with easy-to-remember lists of facts and key concepts, reading this will give a good introduction to the religions of the world, and most likely whet the appetite for further study.

Just don't do it while standing on one foot.