Public and academic libraries looking to expand or supplement their religious reference collection will find this small guide useful. This book provides young adults with reliable, unbiased, and easytouse information on the world s religions, from ancient times to the present day. The bible is sacred book in judaism or christianity. Many illustrations and artfully photographed pictures are included to show religious relics as. Jesus, paul, food, charity, and prayer were just some of the areas examined in this years crop of books under the broad heading of religion. Here you will came to know about different religious books. Undoubtedly, by the time this book is finished, there will have been more changes in the nature of world religious groups, some of those changes very significant.
Mar 23, 2018 while it may be an interesting exercise in cultural exchange to attempt tracing the origins of religion, it does not seem a very worthwhile use of ones time, when it seems fairly clear that the religious impulse is simply a part of the human condition and different cultures in different parts of the world could have come to the same conclusions about the meaning of life independently. Given this reality, its instructive to ponder what it might look like were there to be a day without religion in the united statesif a temporary blip in the universe suddenly. The oxford handbook of global religions edited by mark juergensmeyer, university of california, santa barbara this is a reference for understanding world religious societies in their contemporary global diversity. A selection of books from the worlds great religions. Superis a professor of history at west virginia university, and has. Jul 20, 2007 the oldest religious book in the world hasnt yet been discovered by archaeologists. Revised edition provides young adults with reliable, unbiased information on the worlds religions, from ancient times to the present day. Discover the historical importance of religion in the worlds cultures closely edited for clarity and readability, and conceived for students with little or no background in the academic study of religions, religions of the world offers the most uptodate and historically. This book provides young adults with reliable, unbiased, and easytouse information on the worlds religions, from ancient times to the present day. Five of the worlds largest religious manuscripts, from. The bahai faith is the youngest of the worlds independent religions. Does anyone know of a book written for children that describes the world s religions.
National geographic concise history of world religions. Descriptive religionworld religion wikibooks, open books. There are some religions that are more prominent than others and here are a few major religions in the world which have been listed below. Its founder, bahaullah 18171892, is regarded by bahais as the most recent in the line of messengers of god that stretches back beyond recorded time and that includes abraham, moses, buddha, zoroaster, christ and muhammad. In the united states today, people of almost all backgrounds are accessible because temples of nearly all the worlds religions can be found in most large cities. In about 600 entrieswith 115 new to this editionthis revised edition covers all the major and minor religions of the world, including the religions of the ancient world. The old religion in a new world, noll reports, is a revision, expansion, and update of a volume he published a few years ago in germany as an introduction to the subject for readers in that country. Religious texts are texts related to a religious tradition.
Reza aslan is an iranianamerican author, commentator and religious scholar. See major holidays for listings of religious holidays the worlds faithful account for 83% of the global population. If you are a violent person, your islam, your judaism, your christianity, your hinduism is going to be violent. Bible is the holy book which consists of old and new testaments. An account of the religion, wisdom, philosophy, ethics, psychology, manners, proverbs, sayings, refinement, etc. It was first written at bc through 500 bc and the words were given by god to its writers. The concise history of world religions continues the concise history series with an authoritative and comprehensive take on major religions and lesserknown faiths of all times and nations. The saying dont judge a book by its cover definitely doesnt apply here. Which holy book is the oldest, the bible, the gita, or the.
The relative authority of religious texts develops over time and is derived from the ratification. Introduction to world religions christopher partridge. According to a recent study by researchers at the university of toronto. My husband and i recently bought this book after having seen it at the bookstore. It is a wonderful book that explains the basic ideologies and beliefs of the different religions of the world. One of its principal aims is to highlight aspects of north american christianity that distinguish it from christianity in europe. Known and valued for its balanced approach and its respected board of consulting editors, this text addresses ways to study religion, provides broad coverage of diverse religions, and offers an arresting layout with rich illustrations. Taoism also called daoism is based on the teachings of the tao te ching, a short book containing the teachings of lao tzu and emphasizes spiritual harmony within the individual. Is the bible the oldest religious book in the world. Discover the historical importance of religion in the world s cultures closely edited for clarity and readability, and conceived for students with little or no background in the academic study of religions, religions of the world offers the most uptodate and historically accurate coverage of the world s major religions. The complete dead sea scrolls in english 7th edition. This bestselling introduction to world religions is ideal for readers with no previous exposure to the subject. The religious world, in other words, not only is found in books but is also a living reality all around us. The oldest religious book in the world hasnt yet been discovered by archaeologists.
A leading textbook for world religion, this new edition is designed to help students in their study and research of the worlds religious traditions. The years 10 most intriguing religion books the washington. Here is the list of top 10 must read holyreligious books in the world. I was inclined to believe that the rig veda was the oldest. It consists of lessons and teaching that shows moral life, ethics governing the social and religious life of muslims.
Spiritual treasures from the age of the pyramids and the oldest book in the world by christian jacq 4. Religion in the ancient world ancient history encyclopedia. A comparative anthology of sacred texts andrew wilson demonstrating the commonality of the world s religions and our common humanity, this rich and varied anthology of scripture offers a highly useful collection of religious quotations, passages, and excerpts from the holy texts, representing a new, holistic approach to the world s religions. One of the most beloved stories of all time can now be enjoyed by even more readers. While religion is hard to define, one standard model of religion, used in religious studies courses, who defined it as a system of symbols which acts to establish powerful, pervasive, and longlasting moods and motivations in men by formulating conceptions of a general order of existence and clothing these conceptions with such an aura of factuality that the moods and motivations seem. Aug 26, 2009 so as far as text is concerned, meaning words written down in a book, the ot does not come close to being the oldest religious text. Comprising 60 essays, the volume focuses on communities rather than beliefs, symbols, or rites. It was founded by prophet zoroaster in ancient iran approximately 3500 years ago.
The dead sea scrolls have been dated to between 150 bce and 70 ce. World religions ontario consultants on religious tolerance. List of world religions and founders, religious books, place. Christianity, islam, judaism, hinduism, and buddhism are always included in the list, being known as the big five. To most protestants, the bible consists of the hebrew scriptures a. World historyworld religions wikibooks, open books for an. Pocket guide to world religions 9780830827053 by winfried corduan. Now i am eager to think that the beautiful text the epic of gilgamesh 3rd. The little prince is now the mosttranslated book in the world, excluding religious works. Zoroastrians believe that there is only one god called ahura mazda wise lord and he created the world. Books for kids about religion berkeley parents network.
He is author of tomorrows god 1994, the world to come 1999 and christianity without god 2002. Franklin henry little 18781917, an organizer for the western federation of miners and the industrial workers of the world iww, fought in some of the early twentieth centurys most contentious labor and freespeech struggles. Do you want to gain knowledge about top 10 best epic religious books then you are at right place. World religions ebooks published by jbe online books. Corduan focuses his primary attention on 12 major world religions, but he also sketches in the beliefs of 16 new religions.
The worlds religions by huston smith, paperback barnes. Many feel that their religious beliefs and traditions are timeless and appropriate for any age. Infoplease is here to help with our overviews of the worlds classical religions. The foundation for all other abrahamic religions, and the oldest monotheism still around though by no means the first that is alleged to be a variation on ancient egyptian faith called atenism, which disappeared in the 14th century bce, judaism originated in the kingdoms of israel and judah, which first appeared in the levant around the 9th century bce. Jan 19, 2017 how old are the religions who founded them their holy book religion is a cultural system of behaviors and practices, world views, sacred texts, holy places, ethics, and societal organisation.
This book was intended to be a brief survey without an indepth analysis. Religion in world history individuals and groups have long found identity and meaning through religion and its collective expression. No other text combines the illustrations expertise of national geographic with the historical focus on faithslarge and smallacross the world. Apparently, no religion is now the worlds newest major. Hinduism is the oldest of the major world religions. One of the oldest known religious texts is the kesh temple hymn of ancient sumer, a set of inscribed clay tablets which scholars typically date around 2600 bce. Five of the worlds largest religious manuscripts, from devil. Posting the ten commandments on classroom walls is also supposedly a major nono. We have all heard the statistics about how an increasing number of americans profess no specific religious affiliation, even if they may still identify as spiritual. The encyclopedia of world religions book, 2007 worldcat. Descriptive religionworld religion wikibooks, open. While it certainly has evolved over the years, the belief in gods and deities is an ancient tradition and dates back thousands of years. However, the layperson might not know much about the beliefs and traditions held by religious people worldwide.
That said, the oldest religious texts we have found are egyptian, and they are extremely old. Does anyone know of a book written for children that describes the worlds religions. The books superb reproduction allows the symbolism and meaning in religious imagery and iconography to be revealed in great detail. Offering accurate, comparative descriptions of a broad range of religions, it gives background material on religious theory and study, while exploring living religions in terms of the historical and cultural factors that produced them.
Christians worship in churches and their spiritual leaders are called priests. The proof of many of these religions are seen in religious texts discovered by experts and specialists. The roman catholic church, eastern orthodox churches and the anglican communion add seven additional books. Adi granth, first book is the most sacred book of the sikh religion. A comparative anthology of sacred texts andrew wilson demonstrating the commonality of the worlds religions and our common humanity, this rich and varied anthology of scripture offers a highly useful collection of religious quotations, passages, and excerpts from the holy texts, representing a new, holistic approach to the worlds religions. It is based on the teachings of jesus christ who lived on the holy land 2000 years ago. Of all the ancient writings, most scholars agree that the old testament of the bible is the oldest of religious books.
World religions is a category used in the study of religion to demarcate the fiveand in some cases sixlargest and most internationally widespread religious movements. Top 10 must read holy religious books in the world bhagavad gita is the most sacred book in the hindu religion. Apparently, no religion is now the worlds newest major religion religion is rapidly becoming less important than its ever been, even to people who live in religious countries. The worlds faithful account for 83% of the global population. Turley examine the value of religion for interpreting the human experience in the past and present. Dec 23, 20 jesus, paul, food, charity, and prayer were just some of the areas examined in this years crop of books under the broad heading of religion. Religious belief refers to a faith about the supernatural, sacred, or divine. The 80 timelines with their more than 3,500 entries, plus short articles and feature spreads make it the perfect quickdip reference. Religious texts in particular have gotten the gargantuan book treatment, where often the spectacular labor of creating the tome is a spiritual act. Ahura mazda revealed the truth and teachings through zoroaster. Accessible and farreaching, world religions will engage the whole family as much as the serious student.
The epic of gilgamesh from sumer, although only considered by some scholars as a religious text, has origins as early as 2150 bce, and stands as one of the earliest literary works that includes various mythological figures and themes. What does the red dot on an indian womans forehead mean. Early hinduism was founded over 5,000 years ago in the indus river valley in india. Christianity is the worlds biggest religion, with about 2. Short and compact, this guide provides an excellent starting point for those wanting to know more about the new world of religions around. Although there isnt a sharp distinction today, there are two main schools within taoism. These are called the deuterocanonical books by the. The holy books of world religions sacred texts in world.
So as far as text is concerned, meaning words written down in a book, the ot does not come close to being the oldest religious text. Nov 01, 20 a leading textbook for world religion, this new edition is designed to help students in their study and research of the world s religious traditions. We have a fairly mature 7yr old with very good reading skills whose classmates come from a variety of religious backgrounds. Its a little hilarious to see the answers here about this question almost every person is trying to prove their scriptures are the best just like any other religious question. In an environment where students increasingly turn to the internet as their resource of first choice we think it makes sense to place the learning medium itself in a digital format from the outset, creating for the first time a seamless web of knowledge between the text book and other learning resources. Tobit, judith, 1 and 2 maccabees, wisdom of solomon, ecclesiasticus or, sirach, and baruch. Hinduism, buddhism, confucianism, taoism, islam, judaism, and christianity. Christianity is a religion which has been around for a long time. And like every religion in the world, it depends on what you bring to it. Top 10 must read holy religious books in the world omg. The little prince is now the mosttranslated book in the. This is a good book, but not the best introduction to world religion.
The books unique approach helps the reader grasp the many and complex ways that religion acts upon and reacts to broader global processes. Amongst its outstanding attributes is 1 its intensely visual and easily accessible introduction to world religion, 2 the diversity of cultural elements that it describes in each religion, and finally 3 its academic depth, uncovering some terms and ideas not found in all introductory texts. Top 10 must read holy religious books in the world omg top. It describes the dialogue between the lord krishna and prince arjuna. Now i am eager to think that the beautiful text the epic of gilgamesh 3rd millennium b. It consists of 114 suras or chapters which shows the impassioned appeals for belief in god. List of world religions and founders, religious books. List of religions and spiritual traditions wikipedia. Lloyd geering is a presbyterian minister and former professor of old testament studies at theological colleges in brisbane and dunedia, and professor of religious studies at victorian university in wellington, new zealand. They differ from literary texts by being a compilation or discussion of beliefs, mythologies, ritual practices, commandments or laws, ethical conduct, spiritual aspirations, and for creating or fostering a religious community.
It describes a broad sweep of religions such as those practiced by the australian aborigines, by the native american indians of north and south america and the religions of the. Religion has been around for as long as man has existed. This is an expensive book, but is often available at a reduced cost through amazon marketplace. It consists of lessons and teaching that shows moral life, ethics governing the social and religious life of. Jerusalem is a holy city for judaism, christianity, and islam, whose adherents comprise 50% of the worlds population. This impressive volume on the world s religions attempts to be simple, interesting, and not partial to the point of view of one religious tradition or another. The authors of christian apocalyptic fiction have a strong and definite religious viewpoint, but again, so do.