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Religions of Asia
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
June 16, 2008
Religions of Asia provides a very basic outline of major religions trends in Asia and the development of those religions in a socio-political, cultural, and sometimes geographical context.
It is a pretty dry read--not the most engaging and accessible, but it is helpful to get a general outline on religious theory in Asia and is not a good source for very-detailed analysis of the major religions of Asia. But then, what can you expect from a collection of essays that seek to define and organize thousands of years of religious motivation of the most populated area on earth...in 216 pages?
It would probably be more interesting to you if you already have some kind of understanding of Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, or Daoism, as well as a base understanding of history in Asia. It does do a nice job of identifying major sects and trying explain the interplay of the above religions in places like China and Japan.
Though it creates more questions than it answers, it is a great book for finding out what you might be interested in knowing more about. Also, I found the glossary of terms in the back quite helpful.
It is a pretty dry read--not the most engaging and accessible, but it is helpful to get a general outline on religious theory in Asia and is not a good source for very-detailed analysis of the major religions of Asia. But then, what can you expect from a collection of essays that seek to define and organize thousands of years of religious motivation of the most populated area on earth...in 216 pages?
It would probably be more interesting to you if you already have some kind of understanding of Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, or Daoism, as well as a base understanding of history in Asia. It does do a nice job of identifying major sects and trying explain the interplay of the above religions in places like China and Japan.
Though it creates more questions than it answers, it is a great book for finding out what you might be interested in knowing more about. Also, I found the glossary of terms in the back quite helpful.
March 20, 2014
Another in the large number if books of God and Spirituality I have read in my search for answers. Nope, haven't found any yet.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews