Description: I. OPENING UP TO OTHER TRADITIONS. 1. Why Learn About Other Faiths? "I Read the News Today, Oh Boy". Catching Up with the Constitution. Then and Now. How This Book Can Help. "I Don''t Have to Bother with This! I''m an Agnostic (or: an Atheist)!". Mixing It Up. The Academic Obstacle. Beyond Fear. 2. Lots of Different Names, Some Familiar Ideas. This Just In.... Ancient Truths. Humanity and the Eternal. Interconnectedness with All Creation. Beyond Words, Beyond Mind. One More Thing. 3. Speaking Softly and Dropping the Stick. Non-Sectarian Knees. Six Ways to Alienate Someone Whose Faith Is Unfamiliar to You (and What to Do Instead). Ask Questions! The Best Advice: Don''t Pretend to Have All the Answers. When in Doubt, Repeat: "We''re All in the Same Boat". II. JUDAISM. 4. The Roots of Judaism. The Hebrews. The Kingdom and the Dispersion. The Prophets. Fundamental Precepts. In Depth: Some Key Aspects of Judaism. 5. Modern Jewish Experience. Reactions to the Modern World. The Orthodox Tradition. Conservative Judaism. Reform Judaism. The Pressures of the Outside World. Two Extraordinary Modern Events. 6. Jewish Ritual and Celebration. Life: The Ultimate Religious Ceremony. Dietary Laws. What Happens in the Service? Major Observances. Purim. Pesach (Passover). Life Rituals. III. CHRISTIANITY. 7. Christian Beginnings. The Man at the Center of the Faith. Mystery. Christianity in the World. Peter and Paul-And Beyond. Development, Conflict, and Acceptance. Beyond the Divisions. 8. The Many Christian Denominations. Roman Catholicism. The Orthodox Church. Protestantism. Faith, Not Works. Other Major Denominations. Different Drummers: "Distinctive" Protestant Movements. The Quilt. 9. Christian Celebration. Advent. Christmas. Lent. Palm Sunday. Good Friday. Easter. Pentecost. The Feast of the Assumption. New Year. Is That It? IV. ISLAM. 10. The Early History of Islam. Who Was Muhammad? The Migration. The Qur''an. The Five Pillars. Expansion and Evolution. 11. The Later Development of Islam. Division and Discord. The Word. The Sunni Sect. The Shiite Sect. The Sufis. 12. Ramadan and Other Observances. Day by Day. Important Islamic Life Rituals. Ramadan. Other Important Islamic Holy Days. V. HINDUISM. 13. That Old-Time Religion. No Founder. The Indus Valley Civilization. One and Many. The Vedic Period. The Faith Develops: Circles of Life. Hindu Philosophy. Social Realities. Hindu Beliefs. 14. God''s Many Faces. One God, Many Gods. Having It Both Ways. The Big Picture. A Brief Introduction. 15. Respect for Life and Personal Growth. Life and Death. "Watch Out for Rebirth". Religion, Religion Everywhere. Where''s the Sabbath? Temples and Homes. Celebrations. Life Rituals. VI. BUDDHISM 16. The Prince Who Left the Palace: Buddhist Origins and Doctrine. The Legend of the Buddha. On to Asceticism. The Awakening. The Buddha''s Path. Nirvana (Before It Was a Rock Band). Beyond Substance. Gods. Teaching, Living, Dying. 17. Mahayana and All That. After the Buddha. The Two Schools of Buddhism. Tibetan Buddhism. 18. Zen and Other Buddhist Schools Popular in the West. What Is the Sound of Zen Beginning? Bodhidharma Gets Things Started. "Original Mind". Two Schools. Next Stop: Japan. Other Buddhist Sects. Celebrations. VII. NATURE, MAN, AND SOCIETY IN ASIA. 19. Confucianism: Human Relations 101. Who Was He? Five Interactions. Opposition, Departure, Return. The Analects. Other Literary Stuff. After the Master. Confucianism Tops the Charts. New Confucianism. The Changing, Changeless Way of Confucius. 20. Taoism: The Effortless Path. "Not to Be Impolite, But...". Wow: The Tao! Who Founded Taoism? Back and Forth with Buddhism. How Has Taoism Expressed Itself? It Caught On! 21. Shinto: Harmony and Clarity. Shinto: The Basics. Two Big Dates. The Heart of Shinto. A Binding Force. VIII. OLD PATHS, NEW PATHS. 22. Ancient Creeds. Ancient Egyptian Worship. Ancient Greek Worshi. Ancient Mayan Worship. Ancient Druidic Worshi. Ancient Aztec Worship. 23. Nonscriptural Nature Religions. Inside, Outside. Ideas That Stay. Huna Kupua. African Traditions. Native American Traditions. 24. Modern Times: New Forms. What Is a "New Religion"? Seven New Faiths ... and a Movement. The Nation of Islam. The International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Transcendental Meditation. Neo-Paganism. The Baha''i Faith. Santeria. Rastafarianism. The New Age Movement. Additional New Religious Practices. 25. All Down in Black and White. Scripture as Meeting-Place. The Limits of Language (Holy or Not). A Sense of Purpose. The Importance of Resolution. Loving Others as Ourselves. The Almighty as Protector and Sustainer. Constant Praise to the Almighty. Suffering and Death. APPENDIXES. Appendix A. Fellow Travelers. Appendix B. Scriptures to Keep You Company. Appendix C. Timelines of Major World Religions. Appendix D. Glossary. Index.

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