The Complete Idiot's Guide to World Religions

by Luke Buckles, Yusuf Toropov, Brandon Toropov

Book Overview

More than at any other time in history, readers are educating themselves on the world's major religions and what each believes. Hinduism, Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, and Islam often seem at odds... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1592572227
• ISBN13: 9781592572229
• Release Date: July 2004
• Publisher: Alpha Books
• Length: 405 Pages
• Weight: 1.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 7.3" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Useful

THE COMPLETE IDIOT'S GUIDE TO WORLD RELIGIONS can be used as either an introduction to the subject or as a guide. The index is substantial and this allows the book to serve as a handy reference tool. The greatest emphasis is placed on Christianity,, Judaism, Buddhism, Islam and Hinduism. Some other traditions such as Confucianism, Taoism, Shinto, various ancient creeds, nature religions and New Age movements are also covered. The Third edition makes a sincere attempt to be current with the rapidly changing situation after 9/11. The appendices contain much interesting material which complements the main body of the text.

Good for what it is, but you need to dig a lot deeper

If you're looking for a light overview of the major religions this book will be very helpful. But still, despite its obvious positive qualities, I also have problems with what is left out that should have been mentioned.For example, I could find no where within the book a mention of "Sabbath" or a specific day of worship. I found this odd because it is one of the first things that comes to mind when you meet someone from another faith. What day, if any, is THE day of worship? For Jews and Christian Seventh Day Adventists, for example, it's sunset Friday to sunset Saturday. Seems like this should have been mentioned. Given that it's one of the Ten Commandments it should have been at least mentioned under both Judaism and Christianity. (And any author wanting to tell the truth would acknowledge the fact that the Pope actually did change the official Sabbath day from Saturday to Sunday many many centuries ago.)LIke every "Idiot's Guide" this one doesn't take sides. Or rather, what it approaches it always sounds good. In fact, it bends over backwards to be open to all religions. I've looked at the guides of Judaism, Christianity and Islam and found all to be wanting because they fail to be critical in any way. Everything is always kept "positive." And that's what you get here as well. But still, of all the guides to be non-opinionated, I would say this would be the best choice to follow that path,With that said, I would urge anyone who really wants to understand the various religions to dig deeper. This is a good place to start, to get your feet wet, but if you stop researching you'll find yourself ill prepared to have a mature debate about religion, the Middle East or the various cultural problems we deal with today.

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 Shint

A quick look

A great thumbnail sketch of each of the listed religions. Great for starting off on a more extensive study - gives major ideas and definitions as well as brief histories. It's just what you expect it will be as far as the "Idiot" series goes.

The World's Religions for The World's Idiots

I sought out this book as a reference source for a "Coming of Age" class for the 9th graders at our Unitarian church. The purpose of the class is to examine issues such as gender roles, ethical behavior, sexuality, purpose of life (etc!) and how they are approached by the worlds' religions. I wanted a concise resource, but one that did not simplify or omit too much information. This book, was extremely helpful. It examines the following mainstream religions: Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confuciansim, Taoism, and Shintoism. There are also brief discussions of lesser known religions, such as Baha'i, Neopaganism, and Native American traditions. For each religion, the book focuses on these aspects: 1) a brief history of the development and roots of the religion, 2) the major tenets and beliefs, 3) important holidays and rituals, and 4) common misbeliefs (and potential areas for faux pas) about the religion. For my purposes, the book was extremely helpful since it addressed how each religion dealt with major life issues in fairly simple yet accurate terms. It was excellent for my group of 9th graders as the format is informal, breezy, and fun, without any hint of ridicule (particularly to those religions that may be less familiar to American teenagers). I wish it would have addressed a few more issues, in particular, the role of gender in religions. I found very little on how different religions proscribe the roles of men and women, in the clergy, and in lay life. I would also have enjoyed more discussion on how religions deal with environmental issues, and the question of the ethical treatment of animals, since these are hot topics to my group of kids. But, all in all, this is a valuable book for a concise, yet not overly simple, review of the world's religions, and it makes a good starter for those just beginning to research this topic.