The indispensable guidebook to help the well-meaning guest when visiting other people's religious ceremonies-updated and revised. New edition! We North Americans live in a remarkably diverse society, and it's increasingly common to be invited to a wedding, funeral or other religious service of a friend, relative or coworker whose faith is different from our own. These can be awkward situations.... • What will happen? • What do I do? What do I...

What You Should Know about Islam's Holy Book: How is it like the Bible? How is it different? Why is it important? Muslims believe the Koran exists as a literal book in heaven and was dictated to the prophet Muhammad by the angel Gabriel. It is only the length of the New Testament, yet a fifth of the world claims it is the complete revelation of God. To most Americans, though, the Koran remains a mystery. Did you know that the Koran teaches the virgin...

The days when western Christians could ignore the influence of Islam are over. Today as never before, the world's second largest religion is shaping our culture, and words such as jihad, imam, Quran, and fatwa have entered our vocabulary. While all Muslims are no more alike than all Christians are alike, there are certain fundamental beliefs that all Muslims hold in common-some of which Christians would agree with, including belief in one true God....

Experience the convenience of having this amazing Bible study tool at your fingertips, wherever you go! This comparison of worldviews helps you know what you believe and why. A worldview is the big picture view of the world, one that attempts to answer all the big questions of life: What is real? If there is a God, what is God's nature? What is a human being? How can we know what is right or wrong? This chart compares 8 worldviews: • Atheism:...

Discusses the notion of a spiritual master and looks at examples in a variety of world religions. What is a spiritual master? Spiritual Masters of the World's Religions offers an important contribution to religious studies by addressing that question in the context of such themes as charismatic authority, role models, symbolism, and categories of religious perception. The book contains essays by scholar-practitioners on the topic of spiritual masters...

First work to address the legacy of Wilfred Cantwell Smith and his influence on the development of religious studies and Islamic studies in the twentieth century. This is the first work to address the legacy of Wilfred Cantwell Smith (1916—2000), whose intellectual and institutional contributions helped shape the field of religious studies in the latter half of the twentieth century. As a young scholar, Smith taught Indian and Islamic history in...

In the sixties, Transcendental Meditation, a Hindu-based movement, became fashionable as a way to therapy and psychological well-being especially after being endorsed by the Beatles and the Beach Boys. Its influence waned, ironically, after the courts decided that TM was a religion rather than a form of therapy, as TM had claimed. But its popularity helped open the doors to a wider acceptance of Eastern philosophy and religions in mainstream America....

Every Branch in Me: Essays on the Meaning of Man is a collection of articles by leading perennialist authors that are unified by a single theme: nothing that is properly human can be separated from the intrinsically spiritual nature of man.

In search of an explanation of how a sense of ethnic identity evolves to create the concept of nation, Armstrong analyzes Islamic and Christian cultures from antiquity to the nineteenth century. He explores the effects of institutions--the city, imperial polity, bureaucratic imperatives of centralization, and language divisions--on the development of ethnicity. Political science furnishes the focus, anthropology and sociology provide the conceptual...

The Boy Who Cried Wolf: The Book That Breaks Masonic Silence delves into the secretive world of the Masonic fraternity, offering a thought-provoking exploration of its history, rituals, and the hidden truths behind its enigmatic façade. Through a blend of historical analysis, personal anecdotes, and meticulous research, this captivating book unveils the intricate tapestry of Masonic traditions while challenging long-standing assumptions and misconceptions,...