Comparing Religions - The Study of Us That Changes Us

Teaches students the art and practice of comparison in the globalizing world, fully updated to reflect recent scholarship and major developments in the field

Comparing Religions: The Study of Us that Changes Us is a wholly original, absorbing, and provocative reimagining of the comparative study of religion in the 21st century. The first textbook of its kind to foreground the extraordinary or "paranormal" aspects of religious experience, this innovative volume reviews the fundamental tenets of the world's religions, discusses the benefits and problems of comparative inquiry, explores how the practice can impact a person's worldview and values, and much more.

Asserting that religions have always engaged in comparing one another, the authors provide insights into the history, trends, debates, and questions of explicit comparativism in the modern world. Easily accessible chapters examine the challenges of studying religion using a comparative approach rather than focu sing on religious identity, inspiring students to think seriously about religious pluralism as they engage in comparative practice. Throughout the text, a wealth of diverse case studies and vivid illustrations are complemented by chapter outlines, summaries, toolkits, discussion questions, and other learning features. Substantially updated with new and revised material, the second edition of Comparing Religions:
_ Draws from both comparative work and critical theory to present a well-balanced introduction to contemporary practice
_ Explains classic comparative themes, provides a historical outline of comparative practices, and offers key strategies for understanding, analyzing, and re-reading religion
_ Draws on a wide range of religious traditions to illustrate the complexity and efficacy of comparative practice
_ Embraces the transcendent nature of the religious experience in all its forms, including in popular culture, film, and television
_ Contains a classroom- proven, three-part structure with easy-to-digest, thematically organized chapters
_ Features a companion website with information on individual religious traditions, additional images, a glossary, discussion questions, and links to supplementary material

Comparing Religions: The Study of Us that Changes Us, Second Edition, is the perfect textbook for undergraduate students and faculty in comparative religion, the study of religion, and world religions, as well as a valuable resource for general readers interested in understanding this rewarding area.

Inhaltsverzeichnis:

Prologue: "Welcome to the Future" xvii

A Comment on the Cover Image and the Paintings xxvi

List of Illustrations xxvii

Acknowledgments ... and Color xxxi

Part I Prehistory, Preparation, and Perspective 1

Introduction: Beginnings 3

1 If Horses Had Hands: Comparative Practices in Global History 9

2 From the Bible to the Buddha: Recent History of the Modern Practice 47

3 The Magic of Comparison: Reflexivity and Some Related Skills 87

Part II Comparative Acts 123

4 Telling and Performing the World: The Creative Functions of Myth and Ritual 125

5 The Super Natural: Religion, Nature, and Science 161

6 Seed and Soil: Sex, Race, and the Bodies of Religion 199

7 Transmitting the Power: Charisma, Society, Technology 239

8 Angels, Aliens, and Art: The Imagination and the Paranormal 275

9 The Human as Two: Soul, Salvation, and the End of All Things 313

Part III Putti ng It All Together Again 349

10 Faithful Rereadings: Exclusivism, Inclusivism, Pluralism, and Justice 353

11 Rational Rereadings: Masters of Suspicion, Classical and Contemporary 389

12 Reflexive Rereadings: Looking at the Looker 427

Epilogue: The Moonshot 465

Glossary 469

Index 483