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May 3, 2015

World Religions: A Voyage of Discovery

World Religions (2015)

By Olive Branch United

I have to hand it to St. Mary’s Press, they publish the greatest books on religion. This one not only gives you a comprehensive study on religion, but it also comes with activities that can be used in a classroom. For instance, the question might say “compare Islam to Mormonism” or “think of a time when you expected something to happen, but didn’t, now compare it to the prophecies of the Jehova’s Witnesses.”

The book doesn’t concentrate on Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, like most do. It begins with the roots of religion, where it began with animism and nature. Then it moves on to ancient religions like Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and other religions of Asia and the Middle East. The reason is that these religions came first, long before Judaism, Christianity, or Islam, so if you’re a high school student learning about religion, you might as well learn about the ancient ones first.

The chapters on Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, cover the prayers, holidays, and teachings, along with their histories and different sects of the religions. It also discusses the role of the clergy in modern life, and the place of religion in the modern world.