The religions book : big ideas simply explained /: big ideas simply explained. (2013)

• Record Type: Book
• Further Information: Note: Contributors, Shulamit Ambalu, Michael Coogan, Eve Levavi Feinstein, Paul Freedman, Neil Philip, Andrew Stobart, Mel Thompson, Charles Tieszen, Marcus Weeks.
• Authors: Ambalu, Shulamit; Coogan, Michael David; Feinstein, Eve Levavi; (Rabbi), Freedman, Paul; Philip, Neil; Stobart, Andrew; Thompson, Mel, 1946-; Tieszen, Charles Lowell, 1978-; Weeks, Marcus
• Contents: Introduction -- Primal beliefs from prehistory -- Unseen forces are at work : making sense of the world -- Even a rock has a spirit : animism in early societies -- Special people can visit other worlds : the power of the shaman -- Why are we here? : created for a purpose -- Eternity is now : the Dreaming -- Our ancestors will guide us : the spirits of the dead live on -- We should be good : living in harmony -- Everything is connected : a lifelong bond with the gods -- The gods desire blood : sacrifice and blood offerings -- We can build a sacred space : symbolism made real -- We are in rhythm with universe : man and the cosmos -- We exist to serve the gods : the burden of observance -- Our rituals sustain the world : renewing life through ritual -- Ancient and classical beliefs from 3000 BCE -- There is a hierarchy of gods and men : beliefs for new societies -- The good live forever in the kingdom of Osiris : preparing for the afterlife -- The triumph of good over evil depends on humankind : the battle between good and evil -- Accept the way of the universe : aligning the self with the dao -- The Five Great Vows : self-denial leads to spiritual liberation -- Virtue is not sent from heaven : wisdom lies with the superior man -- A divine child is born : the assimilation of myth -- The oracles reveal the will of the gods : divining the future -- The gods are just like us : beliefs that mirror society -- Ritual links us to our past : living the Way of the Gods -- The gods will die : the end of the world as we know it. Hinduism from 1700 BCE -- Through sacrifice we maintain the order of the universe : a rational world -- The divine has a female aspect : the power of the great goddess -- Sit up close to your guru : higher levels of teaching -- Brahman is my self within the heart : the ultimate reality -- We learn, we live, we withdraw, we detach : the four stages of life -- It may be your duty to kill : selfless action -- The practice of yoga leads to spiritual liberation : physical and mental discipline -- We speak to the gods through daily rituals : devotion through puja -- The world is an illusion : seeing with pure consciousness -- So many faiths, so many paths : God-consciousness -- Nonviolence is the weapon of the strong : Hinduism in the political age -- Buddhism from 6th century BCE -- Finding the middle way : the enlightenment of Buddha -- There can be an end to suffering : escape from the eternal cycle -- Test Buddha's words as one would the quality of gold : the personal quest for truth -- Religious discipline is necessary : the purpose of monastic vows -- Renounce killing and good will follow : let kindness and compassion rule -- We cannot say what a person is : the self as constantly changing -- Enlightenment has many faces : Buddhas and bodhisattvas -- Act out your beliefs : the performance of ritual and repetition -- Discover your Buddha nature : Zen insights that go beyond words. Judaism from 2000 BCE -- I will take you as my people, and I will be your God : God's covenant with Israel -- Beside me there is no other God : from monolatry to monotheism -- The Messiah will redeem Israel : the promise of a new age -- Religious law can be applied to daily life : writing the Oral Law -- God is incorporeal, indivisible, and unique : defining the indefinable -- God and humankind are in cosmic exile : mysticism and the kabbalah -- The holy spark dwells in everyone : man as a manifestation of God -- Judaism is a religion, not a nationality : faith and the state -- Draw from the past, live in the present, work for the future : Progressive Judaism -- If you will it, it is no dream : the origins of modern political Zionism -- Where was God during the Holocaust? : a challenge to the covenant -- Women can be rabbis : gender and the covenant -- Christianity from 1st century CE -- Jesus is the beginning of the end : Jesus's message to the world -- God has sent us his Son : Jesus's divine identity -- The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church : dying for the message -- The body may die but the soul will live on : immortality in Christianity -- God is three and God is one : a divine trinity -- God's grace never fails : Augustine and free will -- In the world, but not of the world : serving God on behalf of others -- There is no salvation outside the Church : entering into the faith -- This is my body, this is my blood : the mystery of the Eucharist -- God's word needs no go-betweens : the Protestant Reformation -- God is hidden in the heart : mystical experience in Christianity -- The body needs saving as well as the soul : social holiness and evangelicalism -- Scientific advances do not disprove the Bible : the challenge of modernity -- We can influence God : why prayer works. Islam from 610 CE -- Muhammad is God's final messenger : the Prophet and the origins of Islam -- The Qur'an was sent down from heaven : God reveals his word and his will -- The Five Pillars of Islam : the central professions of faith -- The imam is God's chosen leader : the emergence of Shi'a Islam -- God guides us with shari'a : the pathway to harmonious living -- We can think about God, but we cannot comprehend him : theological speculation in Islam -- Jihad is our religious duty : striving in the way of God -- The world is one stage of the journey to God : the ultimate reward for the righteous -- God is unequaled : the unity of divinity is necessary -- Arab, water pot, and angels are all ourselves : Sufism and the mystic tradition -- The latter days have brought forth a new prophet : the origins of Ahmadiyya -- Islam must shed the influence of the West : the rise of Islamic revivalism -- Islam can be a modern religion : the compatibility of faith -- Modern religions from 15th century -- We must live as saint-soldiers : the Sikh code of conduct -- All may enter our gateway to God : class systems and faith -- Messages to and from home : the African roots of Santeria -- Ask yourself : "what would Jesus do?" : following the example of Christ -- We shall know him through his messengers : the revelation of Baha'i -- Brush away the dust of sin : Tenrikyo and the Joyous Life -- These gifts must be meant for us : Cargo cults of the Pacific islands -- The end of the world is nigh : awaiting the Day of Judgement -- The lion of Judah has arisen : Ras Tafari is our savior -- All religions are equal : Cao Đài aims to unify all faiths -- We have forgotten our true nature : clearing the mind with Scientology -- Find a sinless world through marriage : purging sin in the Unification Church -- Spirits rest between lives in Summerland : Wicca and the Otherworld -- Negative thoughts are just raindrops in an ocean of bliss : finding inner peace through meditation -- What's true for me is the truth : a faith open to all beliefs -- Chanting Hare Krishna cleanses the heart : devotion to the Sweet Lord -- Through qigong we access cosmic energy : life-energy cultivation in Falun Dafa.
• Publisher Details: London : DK Publishing
• Publication Date: 2013
• Extent: 1 online resource
• Subjects: 200; Religion; Religions; RELIGION -- Comparative Religion; RELIGION -- Essays; RELIGION -- Reference; RELIGION; Religion; Religions; Electronic books
• Languages: English
• ISBNs: 9781409350323; 1409350320; 9780241216491; 0241216494
• Notes: Note: Online resource; title from PDF title page (OverDrive, viewed October 20, 2015).
• Access Rights: Legal Deposit; Only available on premises controlled by the deposit library and to one user at any one time; The Legal Deposit Libraries (Non-Print Works) Regulations (UK).
• Access Usage: Restricted: Printing from this resource is governed by The Legal Deposit Libraries (Non-Print Works) Regulations (UK) and UK copyright law currently in force.