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Copyright, ii
Preface, xvii
Photo Credits, xix
Chapter 1. Understanding the World’s Religious Heritage, 1
Chapter Objectives, 1
A New Day of Religious Encounter, 1
Visiting a Strange Land, 2
Conditioned and Unconditioned Reality, 3
Doors and Windows to the Ultimate, 5
Forms of Religious Expression, 5
Theoretical Expression: What Is Said in Religion, 6
Practical Expression: What Is Done in Religion, 9
Sociological Expression: The Kinds of Groups Formed by Religion, 10
Ethics, Religious Experience, and Art, 11
The Interrelationship of the Forms of Expression, 12
Descriptive and Critical Approaches, 13
Religion, Governance, and Political Life, 14
Periods in Religious History, 14
Hunting and Gathering Religion, 14
Agricultural Religion, 15
Ancient Empires, 15
Religion Responding to History, 16
Medieval Devotion, 18
Modernism, 18
Postmodernism, 19
Looking Forward, 19
Women in the World Religions, 20
Fundamental Features of Religions, 22
Summary, 22
Questions for Review, 22
Suggested Readings on the Study of World Religions, 23
Suggested Websites, 25
Chapter 2. The Sacred in Nature: The Religions of Prehistoric and Tribal Peoples, 26
Chapter Objectives, 26
The First Human Faiths, 26
Gods, Spirits, and the World, 30
Initiation Rites of Men and Women, 32
Shamans, 34
Archaic Hunters, 39
Archaic Gatherers, 41
Archaic Farmers, 41
Women in Early Agrarian Societies and the Patriarchal Revolution, 45
Summary, 47
Questions for Review, 48
Suggested Readings on Prehistoric and Tribal Religions, 49
Suggested Websites, 50
Chapter 3. Life Against Time: The Spiritual Paths of India, 51
Chapter Objectives, 51
The Face of India, 51
Understanding Hinduism, 53
Major Influences on and Developments in Hinduism through Time, 55
The Religion of the Ancient Indo-Europeans, 55
The Upanishads, 61
Spiritual Ferment and the Rise of Buddhism, 65
The Laws of Manu, 67
The Yoga Sutras, 69
The Bhagavad-Gita, 70
Advaita Vedanta, 73
Tantrism, 74
Devotional Hinduism, 75
Devotionalism in the Meeting of Hinduism and Islam, 81
Devotionalism in the Meeting of East and West, 84
The Practice of Hinduism Today, 84
Home Rites, 84
Weddings, 85
Funerals, 85
Caste, 86
Water and Cows, 86
Sadhus, 87
Temples, 88
Hinduism, Governance, and Political Life, 89
Classical Concepts: Dharma and the Holy Kingship, 89
Hindu Nationalist Movements, 90
Mohandas K. Gandhi and Indian Independence, 90
India Today: Tension and Promise, 92
Women in Hinduism, 93
Sources of Classical Hindu Ideals of Womanhood, 93
The Subordination of the Ideal Hindu Wife, 95
Places of Power and Participation, 96
Women and Reform in India, 98
The Political and Religious Forces Shaping the Lives of Today’s Hindu Women, 100
Other Religions of India, 102
Jainism, 102
Sikhism, 104
India in America, 105
Hinduism Comes to America, 105
Other Indian Influences in America, 106
Summary, 108
Questions for Review, 109
Suggested Readings on the Religions of India, 111
Suggested Websites, 114
Chapter 4. Wisdom Embarked for the Farther Shore: The Journey of Buddhism, 115
Chapter Objectives, 115
A Religion of Transformation of Consciousness, 115
The Life of the Buddha, 117
Basic Buddhist Teaching, 120
The Middle Way, 120
The Four Noble Truths and “No Self”, 121
Nirvana, 124
Theravada Buddhism, 126
Mahayana Buddhism, 130
Nagarjuna’s Two Basic Principles, 133
The Bodhisattva, 134
“Mind Only” (Yogacara), 135
The Three Forms of Buddhic Expression (The Three “Buddha Bodies”), 137
Vajrayana (Tantric) Buddhism, 138
Vajrayana Buddhism in Tibet, 140
Chan or Zen Buddhism, 142
Pure Land Buddhism, 145
Buddhism, Governance, and Political Life, 146
The Tradition of the Dharma King, 146
Colonial Rule and Recent Developments, 148
Implications of Buddhism for Politics Today, 149
Women in Buddhism, 150
The Dharma: Opening the Door to Women’s Enlightenment, 150
Women in Early Indian Buddhism and Theravada Buddhism, 150
Women in Mahayana Buddhism, 154
Women in Vajrayana (Tantric) Buddhism, 155
Women in Chan (Zen) and Pure Land Buddhism, 158
Women in Contemporary Buddhism East and West, 158
Buddhism in America, 160
Summary, 162
Questions for Review, 164
Suggested Readings on Buddhism, 165
Suggested Websites, 167
Chapter 5. Dragon and Sun: Religions of East Asia, 168
Chapter Objectives, 168
The East Asian Spiritual World, 168
Religion in China, 171
Ancient China, 171
The Dao—Foundational to Confucianism and Daoism, 172
Confucianism, 173
Confucius (Kong Fuzi) and the Confucian Classics, 173
Fundamentals of the Confucian Tradition, 175
The Han Synthesis and Yin–Yang, 179
Mandarins (Ru), 181
Rituals of the Mandarins (Ru), 182
Neo-Confucianism, 183
Confucian Moral and Social Values, 185
Daoism (Taoism), 185
Fundamentals of Daoism, 185
Laozi and the Dao De Jing, 186
The Development of Philosophical Daoism, 190
Religious Daoism, 191
Buddhism in China, 194
Religion in Traditional China—A Syncretistic Practice, 197
Religion in China, Governance, and Political Life, 199
Confucianism as a Holistic Socio-Political Vision, 199
The Sage King and the Mandate of Heaven, 200
Religion and Politics after the Fall of the Imperial Empire, 201
Religion and Politics in China Today, 204
Women in Chinese Religion, 205
Women in Classical Confucianism, 205
Women in Daoism (Taoism), 208
The “Golden Lotuses”—Footbinding in China, 210
Chinese Women in Buddhism, 212
Women in the People’s Republic of China, 213
The Influence of Daoism and Confucianism in America, 214
Religion in Japan, 216
Shinto, 216
Four Affirmations, 216
Shinto Worship, 217
The Kami and Their Myths, 219
Buddhism in Japan, 220
Tendai and Shingon, 221
The Kamakura Reformation: Pure Land, Nichiren, and Zen, 221
Confucianism in Japan, 224
The Japanese “New Religions”, 225
Religion in Japan, Governance, and Political Life, 226
Women in Japanese Religion, 229
Religion in Korea, 232
Religion in Vietnam, 233
Summary, 234
Questions for Review, 235
Suggested Readings on East Asian Religion, 236
Suggested Websites, 240
Chapter 6. One God, Many Words and Wonders: The Family of the Three Great Monotheistic Religions and Zoroastrianism, 241
Chapter Objectives, 241
The Nature of Monotheistic Religion, 241
Zoroastrianism, 246
Questions for Review, 250
Suggested Readings on Zoroastrianism, 250
Suggested Websites, 250
Chapter 7. Keeping Covenant with God in History: The Unique Perspective of Judaism, 251
Chapter Objectives, 251
Jewish Uniqueness, 251
The Ancient Story of Judaism, 252
From the Second Temple to the Talmud, 257
Medieval and Modern Judaism, 259
Judaism in America, 262
Jewish Beliefs, 262
Jewish Life, 264
Festivals and Practices, 266
Judaism, Governance, and Political Life, 269
Foundational Concepts, 269
Structure of the Jewish Polity, 270
Theology of the Land and Current Tensions, 272
Israel and Governance, 273
Diaspora Today, 274
Looking Back to Look Forward, 274
Women in Judaism, 275
Women in Traditional Judaism, 275
Jewish Women Today—Modernity and Feminism, 278
Summary, 281
Questions for Review, 282
Suggested Readings on the Hebrew Scriptures and Judaism, 282
Suggested Websites, 285
Chapter 8. Spreading the Word of God in the World: The Growth of Christianity, 286
Chapter Objectives, 286
The Scope of Christianity, 286
Jesus, 287
The Early Jesus Movement, 290
Paul, 292
Varieties of Early Christianity, 292
The Emergence of Normative Christianity, 294
The Christian Triumph, 297
The Foundations of Medieval Christianity, 299
Medieval Christendom, 302
The Reformation and Martin Luther, 304
Calvin, 307
The English Reformation, 308
Radical Reform, 309
The Catholic Reformation, 313
Christian Mysticism and Devotion, 313
Eastern Orthodoxy, 316
Roman Catholicism, 318
Protestantism, 323
Christianity, Governance, and Political Life, 325
Apolitical Christianity Becomes Political: Christianity and Politics in Historical Context, 325
Roman Catholicism, 329
Eastern Orthodoxy, 330
Protestant Churches, 330
Christianity in America: A Wellspring of Denominationalism, 331
The Modern Expansion of Christianity, 336
The New Face of World Christianity, 340
Women in Christianity, 343
Women in the Early Jesus Movement, 343
Christian Dualism, the Medieval Vision, and Their Impact on Attitudes toward Women, 345
Christian Women in Europe during the Middle Ages: Wives, Nuns, Charismatics, and Heretics, 346
Women and Reform, 349
Christianity and Women in America before the Twentieth Century, 350
The “Woman Question” in American Christianity in the Twentieth Century and Beyond, 354
Christianity in the World Today, 357
Summary, 358
Questions for Review, 361
Suggested Readings on Christianity, 362
Suggested Websites, 365
Chapter 9. Submitting to the Will of God: Building the House of Islam, 366
Chapter Objectives, 366
The Meaning of Islam, 366
Muhammad, 369
The Qur’an, 370
The Five Pillars of Islam, 374
Prayers and Mosques, 378
Jihad, 381
Historic Islam, 381
Features of Classic Islamic Civilization, 383
Urban Settings and Family Life, 383
The Development of Islamic Culture, 383
The Role of Nonrepresentational Art, Calligraphy, and Literature in Islamic Culture, 384
Philosophy, Science, and the Intellectual Life of Islam, 386
Rationalism and Mysticism in the Development of Islamic Thought, 387
Sunni Islam, 388
Shi‘a Islam, 389
Islamic Mysticism, 394
Islam, Governance, and Political Life, 398
Islam’s Community Ideal, 398
A Question of Authority, 399
Political and Economic Tensions with the West, 399
Islamicism, 400
Saudi Arabia: Islamic Autocratic Theocracy, 401
Turkey: A Secular Islamic State, 402
Iran: Islamic Theocratic Republic, 402
Pakistan: Islamicist Resurgence and Military Rule, 403
Indonesia: Representative Democracy and Islamicist Tensions, 403
Afghanistan: Islamicist History and Unclear Future, 404
Iraq: From Authoritarianism to Sunni/Shi‘a Tensions to Democratic Aspirations, 405
Palestine: Refugees and Nationalism, 405
Criticism and Understanding, 406
Islam in the World Today, 406
Islam in America, 408
Women in Islam, 409
Islam and the Question of Women’s Role, 410
Early Islam after Muhammad: The Continuation of Patriarchal Patterns, 411
Muslim Women: Leaders, Saints, and Practitioners, 415
Today’s Middle Eastern Muslim Women and the Winds of Change, 416
Summary, 419
Questions for Review, 421
Suggested Readings on Islam, 422
Suggested Websites, 424
Chapter 10. Spirits Rising: New Religious Movements, 425
Chapter Objectives, 425
The World of New Religions, 425
Types of New Religions, 426
New Religions Around the World, 434
Features of New Religious Movements, 435
Summary, 437
Questions for Review, 437
Suggested Readings on New Religious Movements, 438
Suggested Websites, 439
Chapter 11. Looking Over the Spiritual Horizon: Religion Today and Tomorrow, 440
Chapter Objectives, 440
Things Old and New, 440
Challenges for Religion Today, 441
Science, 441
Technology and the Internet, 442
Globalization, 443
The Environmental Crisis, 445
Overpopulation, 447
Women’s Inequality, 447
Sexual Orientation, 448
Religious Trends Today, 448
Liberalism, 448
Traditionalism, Conservatism, and Fundamentalism, 449
Secularization, 450
Religious Futures, 450
New Religions and New Religious Founders, 450
Secularism or Religious Revival?, 451
Syncretism, 451
Pluralism, 451
Religion’s Future, 452
Questions for Review, 452
Suggested Readings, 453
Suggested Websites, 453
Appendix: Studying the World Religions, 454
I. Writing a Term Paper, 454
II. Writing a Religious Visit Paper, 456
III. Internet Research Guide, 457
Notes, 459
Glossary, 482
Index, 497
Endpaper, EP-1
Single PC License Agreement and Limited Warranty, EM-1

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