World Religions: Western Traditions

Now in a third edition, this highly successful text offers a comprehensive and engaging introduction to Western religious traditions. It provides in-depth coverage of Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Christianity, and Islam. It also includes a chapter on the ancient world, which covers the religions of Greece and Rome, the ancient near East, and pre-Christian Europe. A chapter on "new horizons" examines past and current African religious traditions, Native traditions in the Americas, the Baha'i faith, and "New Age" religions. The concluding chapter on "traditions in contact" looks at such issues as bearing witness, missionary movements, and the role of religion in a pluralistic society. World Religions: Western Traditions, 3/e combines a historically descriptive perspective with timelines, key terms, maps, text boxes, study questions, and annotated suggestions for further reading. This new edition includes a more lucid introduction; a second color and more maps; new study questions; and a new annotated bibliography. This third edition: merges and clarifies the treatment of Islamic theology and philosophy, expands treatment of Islam in the Indian subcontinent and adds a description of the Ahmadiyah movement, extends and improves the discussion of the Baha'i faith, and traces the various strands of the New Age movement in greater detail