Introducing World Religions

"This volume is a teacher's dream. It explains theories of religion in accessible language, describes the practices and beliefs of major religions, includes numerous photos and charts to hold student interest, and exhibits a fine balance between detail and overview. Charles Farhadian has written an excellent introduction to world religions for the undergraduate Christian perspective. It will remain a textbook of choice for years to come."

"Lushness of illustration aside--and there's plenty of that!--what Introducing World Religions does best is to illustrate in the person of the author himself a model for 'Christian engagement' with the world's religions, old and new. Exemplifying how to be both grounded and open, Charles Farhadian wants us to learn about the religions so that we can learn from them and with them as well. Not only that, he also realizes that learning without a location--a perspective from nowhere in particular--is an impossibility. Interspersed throughout, the author's 'Christian Reflections' will prove meaningful to Christians of all persuasions."

"Charles Farhadian has produced an excellent and long-awaited book with a well-balanced coverage on East Asian religions (Taoism and Confucianism) and East Asian Christianity, which have been very much neglected in the past. This is an indispensable text for college and other courses related to introducing world religions not only in the West but also in the East. Timely and properly written in this global age of cross-cultural necessity."

"We are more than machines. We have spirits that long for meaning, for justice, for relationships. In this clearly organized book, Charles Farhadian shows how each of the great religions offers paths for our quests. Like a conversation with a well-traveled friend, the style makes complex topics accessible and the photos help us visualize believers across the globe. In today's connected world, this book is a treasure."

"You can count on two things from this excellent introduction: (1) reliable information about the world's religions and (2) guidance in seeing that information through a Christian lens. Charles Farhadian has given us a religion text for the twenty-first century: accurate, faithful, respectful, and compassionate. It now has a permanent place on my bookshelf."

"Professor Farhadian has created a world religions text like no other. While setting up the conversation about world religions without fear and without apology from a Christian perspective, the author seeks to create a dialogue in which members of all religions would feel welcomed and fairly represented. The text is masterfully interdisciplinary, illustrating the pervasiveness of religion in human experience throughout history and the relevance of religion to every field of study. The lucid prose, wide-ranging illustrations, study helps, and use of sacred texts make the work inviting and useful for an introductory class in either an academic or church context. In addition, the book's overall framing of the conversation as well as its comprehensiveness make it of value to someone long familiar with the field. This text is truly matched to the challenge of religion in the twenty-first-century global context."

"Farhadian's Introducing World Religions addresses a Christian audience by acknowledging their distinct location while at the same time making full use of critical social-scientific approaches to the study of religion. The result is a text that will be useful far beyond church-related universities and seminaries. His introduction is a masterful multidimensional account of how contemporary approaches to religious studies have come about and how these continue to inform the understanding of religion. He then systematically addresses these concerns in the context of each religion, providing a clear framework that is particularly useful for nonexpert readers and students."