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Informationen zum Autor John Morreall is Professor of Religious Studies at the College of William and Mary. He has published widely in the philosophy of religion, and on the comic dimensions of world religions. His book Comedy, Tragedy, and Religion (1999) won the Choice Outstanding Academic Book 2000. He is also the author of Comic Relief: A Comprehensive Philosophy of Humor (2009), published by Wiley-Blackwell. Tamara Sonn is the Wm. R. Kenan Distinguished Professor of Humanities in the Department of Religious Studies at the College of William and Mary. Her books include Comparing Religions through Law: Judaism and Islam (with J. Neusner, 1999) and Islam: A Brief History, 2nd edition (Wiley-Blackwell, 2010). She was senior editor of the Oxford Dictionary of Islam (2003), and associate editor of The Islamic World Past and Present (2004). She is currently an editor of Oxford Islamic Studies Online , and of Encyclopedia of the Islamic World (2009). In addition, Sonn is editor-in-chief of Oxford Bibliographies Online: Islamic Studies , and co-editor-in-chief of Wiley-Blackwell's Religion Compass . Klappentext This unique introductory textbook is a complete overview of Religious Studies, providing students with the essential knowledge and tools they need to explore and understand the nature of religion. In a lively and engaging way, the authors draw together the main elements of Religious Studies, allowing the reader to develop an integrated understanding of religion. The book provides: an overview of the roles of religion in society; an account of the historic development of Religious Studies, and an introduction to some of the major theories and methods - the tools - used in the study of religion; an exploration of the diversity of world religions through overviews of some of the early religions; the family of Western monotheisms (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam); Indian traditions (Hinduism and Buddhism); Chinese traditions (Confucian, Taoist, and Buddhist); and less familiar religions such as Zoroastrianism, Shinto, and Native American religion; the impact of Religious Studies and the natural sciences on religion, exploring issues such as developments in scriptural studies, feminist and liberation theology, evolutionism vs. creationism, and ongoing debates about the future of religion in modern society. The attractive design, lively text, numerous illustrations, sidebars, text boxes, questions, and activities all make The Religion Toolkit an exciting and thought-provoking book to use. Zusammenfassung This complete overview of religious studies provides students with the essential knowledge and tools they need to explore and understand the nature of religion. Inhaltsverzeichnis List of Figures and Maps xiii Timeline xvi Acknowledgments xxii Credits xxiii 1 Introduction: Prepare to Be Surprised 2 Part I The Tools 15 2 An Overview of Religion: Making Sense of Life 16 Explaining Suffering and Evil 18 Explaining Death 22 Ghosts 23 Resurrection 24 Souls 25 Reincarnation 26 The Importance of Order 26 Order Out of Chaos 27 Order and Predictability: Eschatology, Prophecy, Divination 27 Social Order 30 Group Identity 31 Ethics/Morality and Law 34 Authority and Power 37 The Role of Ritual 39 Conclusion 41 3 The Early Development of Religious Studies 44 Philosophy, Theology, and Religious Studies 47 The Relationship between Philosophy and Theology 48 Two Kinds of Christian Theology 50 Scriptural (Biblical) Studies and the Impact of the Printing Press 52 Baruch Spinoza (d. 1677): The Beginnings of Source Criticism ...
