Historical Atlas of Religions - Hardcover

KAREN FARRINGTON is an ex-Fleet Street journalist who worked for several years at London's Old Bailey. She became a fulltime author in 1987 and has contributed to numerous publications on military history. Her published works include, 'Witness to World War II', 'The History of Religion' and 'Natural Disasters'.

Grade 6-10-Some three dozen organized religions, religious movements, and systems of belief are explored in this oversized package. Beginning in the acknowledged birthplace of many major religions, the Middle East, each chapter discusses the significant religions throughout history by continent. The origins and basic tenets of each faith and the hardships experienced by some of its practitioners are revealed in substantial text. Abundant color illustrations include portraits of significant individuals, reproductions of important religious art, and photographs of artifacts and sites. The many historical maps depicting strongholds and the spread of specific religions are especially helpful. Entries for groups such as The Society of Friends and Christian Science are only two pages long as are those for religious beliefs of which there is little record, such as those of the Maya. Others, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, and Judaism, are discussed at greater length. Christianity receives the most attention since it has influenced the histories of peoples in most parts of the world. While the introductions to the beliefs of some peoples and groups (e.g., the Australasian Aborigines, the Salvation Army, and others) are not extensive, they offer a basic understanding of each one. The organization does not promote quick access to specific facts or significant dates and statistics, but there is an index. On the whole, Farrington's work presents more variety than Trevor Barnes's The Kingfisher Book of Religions (Kingfisher, 1999) and more substance than Anita Ganeri's The Atlas of World Religions (Peter Bedrick, 2001).
Ann G. Brouse, Steele Memorial Library, Elmira, NY
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