Religions of the West today

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Bibliographic Information

Religions of the West today

John L. Esposito, Darrell J. Fasching, Todd Lewis

Oxford University Press, 2009

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Includes bibliographical references and index

Description and Table of Contents

Description

Ideal for courses in Western religions and world religions, Religions of the West Today covers the same material as the parallel chapters of the authors' longer textbook, World Religions Today, Third Edition. Revealing the significance of religion in contemporary life, it explores major religious traditions-Judaism, Christianity, Islam, indigenous religions, and new religions-as dynamic, ongoing forces in the lives of individuals and in the collective experience of modern societies. This unique volume accomplishes two goals; it connects today's religions to their classical beliefs and practices while also focusing on how these religions have responded to and been transformed by the modern world. The authors combine thorough coverage of the historical background of each religion with up-to-the-minute discussions of its current practices. Each chapter includes an "Encounter with Modernity" section that illustrates the tension between premodern views and modernity. The text is enhanced by numerous pedagogical aids-timelines, maps, illustrations, discussion questions, and a comprehensive glossary of key terms-and more than 100 illustrations and photographs. It also incorporates "Tales of Spiritual Transformation" boxes-which relate the stories of people whose lives have been changed by religious faith-and "Teachings of Religious Wisdom" boxes, which introduce primary source material. Religions of the West Today emphasizes the interconnectedness of faith, culture, politics, and society, providing a peerless examination of the diverse ways in which contemporary human beings are religious. An Instructor's Manual and a Companion Website at www.oup.com/us/esposito provide resources for both students and instructors. Also available to suit your course needs: World Religions Today, Third Edition (978-0-19-536563-4) Religions of Asia Today (978-0-19-537360-8)

Table of Contents

  • 1. INTRODUCTION
  • Globalization: World Religions in Everyone's Hometown
  • Understanding Religious Experience and Its Expressions
  • The Great Transition: From Tribal Life to Urban Life and the Emergence of World Religions
  • The Great Religious Stories of the World
  • Modernization in Global Perspective
  • Modern Colonialism, the Socialist Challenge, and the End of Modernity
  • Postmodern Trends in a Postcolonial World
  • Conclusion: We Are All Heretics in the Postmodern Situation
  • 2. INDIGENOUS RELIGIONS
  • I. Origins of Homo Religiosus: Prehistory
  • II. Indigenous Religious Traditions: Soul Belief and Afterlife
  • III. Indigenous Religions Today
  • 3. THE MANY STORIES OF JUDAISM: SACRED AND SECULAR
  • Encounter with Modernity: Modern Judaisms and the Challenge of Ultra-Orthodoxy
  • Premodern Judaism: The Formative Era
  • Premodern Judaism: The Classical Era
  • Judaism and Modernity
  • Judaism and Postmodern Trends in a Postcolonial World
  • 4. CHRISTIAN DIVERSITY AND THE ROAD TO MODERNITY
  • Encounter with Modernity: The Fundamentalist-Modernist Controversy
  • Premodern Christianity: The Formative Era
  • Premodern Christianity: The Classical Era
  • Christianity and Modernity
  • Christianity and Postmodern Trends in a Postcolonial World
  • 5. ISLAM: THE MANY FACES OF THE MUSLIM EXPERIENCE
  • Encounter with Modernity: The Challenge of Western Colonialism
  • Premodern Islam: The Formative Era
  • Premodern Islam: The Classical Era
  • Islam and Modernity
  • Islam and Postmodern Trends in a Postcolonial World
  • Islam: Postmodern Challenges
  • 6. GLOBALIZATION: FROM NEW TO NEW AGE RELIGIONS
  • New Religions
  • New Age Religions
  • East Goes West: Transcendental Meditation
  • West Goes East: The Unification Church of Sun Myung Moon and the Aum Shinrikyo Movement
  • Religious Postmodernism and Global Ethics
  • The Challenge of Postmodern Secular Relativism
  • The Future of Religion in an Age of Globalization

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