Description: Though voluntary association for the public good is often thought of as a peculiarly Western, even Christian conception, this book demonstrates that there are rich traditions of philanthropy in cultures throughout the world. Rather than search for expressions of Western conceptions of philanthropy, experts in area studies set forth to investigate how a particular culture understood philanthropy and its role and how people in these cultures attempt to realize "the good" through giving and serving. The essays study philanthropy in Buddhist, Islamic, Hindu, Jewish, and Native American religious traditions and in cultures from Latin America, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa through India, South Asia, China, and Japan.

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