Sourcebook of the World's Religions: An Interfaith Guide to Religion and Spirituality - Softcover

This anthology of interfaith articles, essays, and resources has a multifold mission: First off, it is a well-presented primer, introducing readers to 20 of the world's religions and spiritual beliefs--Hinduism, Christianity, African Traditional Religion, Taoism, Wicca, and Nature Spirituality among them. Second, this carefully edited collection offers suggestions for becoming a more unified community, one that tolerates and respects the diversity of spiritual beliefs on the planet. Finally, it addresses the common ground amid all this diversity, such as respect for human rights, environmental responsibility, and creating a culture of peace.

Although the material is heady (e.g., discussions on "Scared Community at the Dawn of the Second Axial Age" and "Objectives of the 1893 World Parliament of Religions"), the essays are mostly written by accessible writers, such as Wayne Teasdale and Thomas Keating. Also, the editor, Joel Beversluis, offers excellent introductions to each submission, grounding readers in plenty of background, context, and insider's information. --Gail Hudson

Beversluis, editor and publisher of CoNexus Press, edited the first edition of this work (A Sourcebook for Earth's Community of Religions) for participants in the 1993 Parliament of the World's Religions. This third edition is the single best resource yet for information on the growing interfaith movement. The volume has four parts: "Who Are We?" introduces each religious tradition; "Becoming a Community of Religions" provides background on the history and purposes of interfaith dialog; "Choosing Our Future" focuses on the role of religion in creating a culture of peace, respect for the environment, and human rights; and "Selected Resources for the Community of Religions" provides Internet and organizational directories, as well as an index of major areas of focus. This volume lacks the occasional useful organization (e.g., the Bah '! International Community's Office for the Environment), but as a source for basic information on religions, international documents articulating a global ethics of cooperation among spiritual traditions, and primary areas of focus for each tradition, it is essential for all academic, public, and theological libraries.DWilliam P. Collins, Library of Congress
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.