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BOOK
The World's Religions: Our Great Wisdom Traditions
Huston Smith
$28.39

About this product:
The World's Religions, by Huston Smith, has been a standard introduction to its eponymous subject since its first publication in 1958. Smith writes humbly, forswearing judgment on the validity of world religions. His introduction asks, "How does it all sound from above? Like bedlam, or do the strains blend in strange, ethereal harmony? ... We cannot know. All we can do is try to listen carefully and with full attention to each voice in turn as it addresses the divine. Such listening defines the purpose of this book." His criteria for inclusion and analysis of religions in this book are "relevance to the modern mind" and "universality," and his interest in each religion is more concerned with its principles than its context. Therefore, he avoids cataloging the horrors and crimes of which religions have been accused, and he attempts to show each "at their best." Yet The World's Religions is no pollyannaish romp: "It is about religion alive," Huston writes. "It calls the soul to the highest adventure it can undertake, a proposed journey across the jungles, peaks, and deserts of the human spirit. The call is to confront reality." And by translating the voices of Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Confucianism, Christianity, and Judaism, among others, Smith has amplified the divine call for generations of readers. --Michael Joseph Gross

BOOK
The Complete Idiot's Guide to World Religions, 3rd Edition
Father Luke Buckles
$10.49

About this product:
A comprehensive look at ideas about God-in every corner of the globe.

More than at any other time in history, ordinary people are reading up on the world's major religions. Hinduism, Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, and Islam often seem at odds with each other, and as readers struggle to understand, The Complete Idiot's Guide to World Religions, Third Edition, provides expanded and updated coverage to answer their questions. Here, comparative theologists Toropov and Buckles provide many answers to today's questions about both major and lesser-known religions and beliefs. Each of five parts, one for every major religion, discusses history, rituals, celebrations, holy documents, deities, and structure. Included are Asian paths of belief, non-scriptural religions, ancient creeds, and the earth-based religions practiced in parts of Asia, Africa, South America, island nations, Europe, and North America. New coverage includes:

BOOK
Religion Saves: And Nine Other Misconceptions (Re:Lit)
Mark Driscoll
$11.98

About this product:

After 343,203 online votes on the Mars Hill Church website, nine questions for Pastor Mark Driscoll emerged as the ones most urgently calling for answers.

Inspired by 1 Corinthians, in which Paul answers a series of questions posed by the people in the Corinthian church, Pastor Mark Driscoll set out to determine the most controversial questions among visitors to the Mars Hill Church website. In the end, 893 questions were asked and 343,203 votes were cast. The top nine questions are now each answered in a chapter of Religion Saves.

After an introductory chapter devoted to the misconception that religion is what saves us, Driscoll tackles nine issues: birth control, humor, predestination, grace, sexual sin, faith and works, dating, the emerging church, and the regulative principle.

Because the purpose of this book is to address commonly asked questions, all readers will find relevant, engaging material, written in Driscoll's distinctively edgy, yet theologically sound style.

BOOK
Experiencing the World's Religions
Michael Molloy
$69.39

About this product:
Experiencing the World's Religions provides a clear and compelling account of the world's major religious traditions. With an engaging narrative and powerful photographs from around the globe, the text conveys the vitality and richness of the world's religions. It views religion as a living cultural wellspring that not only concerns systems of belief but how those beliefs are expressed in ceremonies, food, clothing, art, architecture, pilgrimage, scripture, and music. The text goes beyond traditional approaches to personally connect students with the traditions discussed. With additional pedagogy, primary source excerpts, expanded discussion of religious controversies, and more, this fifth edition has been thoroughly updated in both content and design to provide students with a better understanding of religion and the world at large.

BOOK
Religions of the World (11th Edition)
Mark R. Woodward
$70.01

About this product:

For introductory courses in world religions., comparative religions or introduction to religion.

Conceived for students with little or no background in the academic study of religions, Religions of the World offers the most broad coverage of world religions supported by primary source documents, coverage of religions as they exist today, and integrated media resources.

In preparing the eleventh  edition of  Religions of the World, Mark Woodward drew on his experience in teaching an introductory course on the religions of the world to thousands of undergraduates over the last two decades, living and working in Buddhist, Muslim and Chinese cultures for extended periods and on conversations with friends and colleagues in the Arizona Native American community.  In this edition, he has edited the text closely for clarity and readability and made other changes to keep it up to date and accurate including updating all sections on religion today for each tradition. Religions of the World  is comprehensive, readable, and engaging for all students.

BOOK
Institutes of the Christian Religion
John Calvin
$15.63

About this product:
Hendrickson offers a one-volume hardcover edition of one of Western Christianity's foundational works. Re-typeset into a clean and modern typeface, this edition is easy to read for the modern eye. This book will appeal to libraries, seminarians, pastors, and laypeople. Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin is an introduction to the Bible and a vindication of Reformation principles by one of the Reformation's finest scholars.

At the age of twenty-six, Calvin published several revisions of his Institutes of the Christian Religion, a seminal work in Christian theology that altered the course of Western history and that is still read by theological students today. It was published in Latin in 1536 and in his native French in 1541, with the definitive editions appearing in 1559 (Latin) and in 1560 (French). The book was written as an introductory textbook on the Protestant faith for those with some learning already and covered a broad range of theological topics from the doctrines of church and sacraments to justification by faith alone. It vigorously attacked the teachings of those Calvin considered unorthodox, particularly Roman Catholicism, to which Calvin says he had been "strongly devoted" before his conversion to Protestantism. The over-arching theme of the book--and Calvin's greatest theological legacy--is the idea of God's total sovereignty, particularly in salvation and election.

BOOK
Your Religion Is False
Joel Grus
$12.78

About this product:
The funniest book ever written about why your religion is false!

Whether you're a Christian or a Jew, a Muslim or a Hindu, a Rasta or a Jain, an Environmentalist or a Cheondoist, a Scientologist or a Giant Stone Head Worshipper, your religion is false.

But don't feel bad -- so is everyone else's! When you want to know what not to believe, this is the only book you need.

In addition, you'll learn

* Why "god" doesn't exist
* Why there's no such thing as a "soul"
* How to find "meaning" in a religion-less world
* Which of your religious heroes are pedophiles
* Why "religious tolerance" is a terrible idea

And, as a bonus, the greatest religious joke ever told. You can't afford not to read this book!

BOOK
Religion Explained
Pascal Boyer
$7.20

About this product:
What's it all about? Though we might never answer the really big questions--with good reason--maybe we can understand why we ask them. Cognitive anthropologist Pascal Boyer tackles this topic in the unapologetically titled Religion Explained, and it is sure to polarize his readers. Some will think it's an impermissible invasion of mental territory beyond the reach of reason; others will see it as the first step toward a more complete understanding of human nature--and Boyer is acutely aware of the emotionally charged nature of his work. This knowledge informs his decision to proceed without caution, as he warns readers early on that most will risk being offended by some of his considerations. Readers who can lay aside their biases will find great rewards here; Boyer's wide scholarship and knack for elegant writing are reasons enough for reading his book.

That gods and spirits are construed very much like persons is probably one of the best-known traits of religion. Indeed, the Greeks had already noticed that people create gods in their own image.... All this is familiar, indeed so familiar that for a long time anthropologists forgot that this propensity requires an explanation. Why then are gods and spirits so much like humans?

Peppering his study with examples from all over the world, particularly the Fang people of Africa, Boyer offers plenty of evidence for his theory that religious institutions exist to maintain particular threads of social integrity. Though he uses the tools of evolutionary psychology, he is more careful than most EP proponents to avoid ad hoc and circular arguments. Best of all, at least to those unmortified at the idea of examining religion critically, his theories are potentially testable. Even if he turns out to be dead wrong, at least Religion Explained offers a new and powerful framework for thinking about our spiritual lives. --Rob Lightner

BOOK
The Myth of a Christian Religion: Losing Your Religion for the Beauty of a Revolution
Gregory A. Boyd
$9.35

About this product:
In this sequel to his bestseller, The Myth of a Christian Nation, Dr. Gregory Boyd issues a clear call to manifest God’s beauty and revolt against evil—with Jesus’ life as our example. Passionate theology and practical insight combine to create a guidebook for simple, radical, Christlike living.

BOOK
Slave Religion: The "Invisible Institution" in the Antebellum South
Albert J. Raboteau
$10.99

About this product:
Twenty-five years after its original publication, Slave Religion remains a classic in the study of African American history and religion. In a new chapter in this anniversary edition, author Albert J. Raboteau reflects upon the origins of the book, the reactions to it over the past twenty-five years, and how he would write it differently today. Using a variety of first and second-hand sources-- some objective, some personal, all riveting-- Raboteau analyzes the transformation of the African religions into evangelical Christianity. He presents the narratives of the slaves themselves, as well as missionary reports, travel accounts, folklore, black autobiographies, and the journals of white observers to describe the day-to-day religious life in the slave communities. Slave Religion is a must-read for anyone wanting a full picture of this "invisible institution."