Ancient Greece and Rome 1200 B.C.E.–476 C.E. / ed. J. A. Evans. - 516 p.

Vol. 1. - 1999. - 861 p.

Grade 10 Up-This work describes various aspects of religious life in America from 1965 to the present. Each signed entry offers a clearly written, well-balanced discussion of the topic followed by see-also references and a bibliography. Major religions and smaller and fringe groups are represented as are individuals, symbols, traditions, beliefs, and practices. Coverage extends to subjects that readers might not initially think of in this context such as "Charles Colson" or "dowsing." Discussions of potentially controversial issues, e.g., "Wicca" or cults, are descriptive and nonjudgmental. The examinations of the moral issues involved in a number of contemporary, often highly charged political issues such as abortion are particularly valuable. Occasional black-and-white photographs are interspersed throughout the volume. The comprehensive index highlights those entries that are represented by a full article. The Encyclopedia of American Religious History (Facts On File, 1995) and J. Gordon Melton's Encyclopedia of American Religions (Gale, 1999) cover some of the same territory, but where interest demands and budget permits, this is a worthy addition. Linda Greengrass, Bank Street College Library, New York City

Law is too often perceived solely as state-based rules and institutions that provide a rational alternative to religious rites and ancestral customs. The Spirit of Hindu Law uses the Hindu legal tradition as a heuristic tool to question this view and reveal the close linkage between law and religion. Emphasizing the household, the family, and everyday relationships as additional social locations of law, it contends that law itself can be understood as a theology of ordinary life. An introduction to traditional Hindu law and jurisprudence, this book is structured around key legal concepts such as the sources of law and authority, the laws of persons and things, procedure, punishment and legal practice. It combines investigation of key themes from Sanskrit legal texts with discussion of Hindu theology and ethics, as well as thorough examination of broader comparative issues in law and religion.

Richard Dawkins has an opinion on everything biological, it seems, and in A Devil's Chaplain, everything is biological. Dawkins weighs in on topics as diverse as ape rights, jury trials, religion, and education, all examined through the lens of natural selection and evolution. Although many of these essays have been published elsewhere, this book is something of a greatest-hits compilation, reprinting many of Dawkins' most famous recent compositions. They are well worth re-reading. His 1998 review of Alan Sokal and Jean Bricmont's Fashionable Nonsense is as bracing an indictment of academic obscurantism as the book it covered, although the review reveals some of Dawkins' personal biases as well. Several essays are devoted to skillfully debunking religion and mysticism, and these are likely to raise the hackles of even casual believers. Science, and more specifically evolutionary science, underlies each essay, giving readers a glimpse into the last several years' debates about the minutiae of natural selection. In one moving piece, Dawkins reflects on his late rival Stephen Jay Gould's magnum opus, The Structure of Evolutionary Theory, and clarifies what it was the two Darwinist heavyweights actually disagreed about. While the collection showcases Dawkins' brilliance and intellectual sparkle, it brings up as many questions as it answers. As an ever-ardent champion of science, honest discourse, and rational debate, Dawkins will obviously relish the challenge of answering them.

In this book, the autor critiques God in all his forms, from the sex-obsessed tyrant of the Old Testament to the more benign (but still illogical) Celestial Watchmaker favored by some Enlightenment thinkers. He eviscerates the major arguments for religion and demonstrates the supreme improbability of a supreme being. He shows how religion fuels war, foments bigotry, and abuses children, buttressing his points with historical and contemporary evidence. In so doing, he makes a compelling case that belief in God is not just irrational, but potentially deadly. Dawkins has fashioned an impassioned, rigorous rebuttal to religion, to be embraced by anyone who sputters at the inconsistencies and cruelties that riddle the Bible, bristles at the inanity of 'intelligent design', or agonizes over fundamentalism in the Middle East-or Middle America.

Vol. 1 : A-D. - 428 p.

Vol. 1 : Aaron - Attention. - 792 p.

This edition helps fill that niche with more than 400 scholarly articles written by experts from around the world. Intended for students and researchers, it provides a glimpse into the effects of major scientific discoveries on world religions. The multidisciplinary scope extends coverage into the social sciences and humanities, which results in a wide spectrum of entries, such as "Buddhism," "Economics," "Evil and Suffering," "Language," "Reproductive Technology," and "String Theory." The articles range from 100-word definitions of key terms to 4000-word essays on broader topics containing background information and discussions of the religious and scientific perspectives of the issues. The longer articles include bibliographies, and there is a separate annotated bibliography for the reader who wants to explore further some of the major themes covered here. The alphabetical arrangement, synoptic outline, numerous cross references, and detailed index make this encyclopedia easy to use. While lay readers will find The History of Science and Religion in the Western Tradition, edited by Gary B. Ferngren and others, more accessible, the Encyclopedia of Science and Religion includes more contemporary issues, Eastern traditions, and disciplines outside of science and religion. However, both resources complement each other well. Recommended for academic and larger public libraries.

In this small but mighty book, the author comes to grips with basic issues such as: why Jesus died, and why Jewish people object to Him. Passage after biblical passage, with rabbinic interpretation, relate the Old Covenant's fulfillment in the Messiah. For two decades, Jesus Was a Jew has proven itself an incredibly powerful witnessing tool to Jewish people, and it is ideal for Jewish friends who are skeptical of your faith, but willing to read.

ч. 1 : History and Controversies. - 2006. - 1499 p.

An anthropologist and leading authority on Santeria, the syncretism of the Yoruba religion and Catholicism, Gonzalez-Wippler has written numerous books on the subject (e.g., Santeria , African Magic in Latin America , LJ 12/1/73; The Santeria Experience , LJ 2/15/82). Notorious for their secrecy, the Santeros initially misled Gonzalez-Wippler to protect their faith, but in time they recognized her genuine respect for the religion and began relaying accurate information. The book focuses on the Yoruba pantheon of orishas (Goddesses and Gods), the ten or more levels of Santeria hierarchy, the priesthood, the concept of Divine power known as ashe , initiations, Spirit possession, spells and herbs, and the controversial practice of animal sacrifice. A well-researched, fascinating look at a growing, dynamic religion with more than five million practitioners in this country alone.

As a startingpoint, I offer the following basicprinciples which might be regarded as vital to them. [theories of religion and social change]. The social significance of religion (i) can rise and fall in any social and economic context -pre-industrial, industrial, post-industrial; (2) does not decay automatically or irreversibly with the growth of human knowledge, rationality or technology; (3) does not decay automatically or irreversibly with industrialization or urbanization; (4) is not to be measured by unity of religious belief or uniformity of religious adherence in a given natiodregion; (5) can be challenged by fundamental social and economic change, and can suffer short to medium-term decay, but can adapt to the new content and can show significant long-term growth; 6) can change the ways, or the balance of ways, in which it arises from one social and economic context to anothel