The World's Religions: Our Great Wisdom Traditions by Huston Smith
The venerable Huston Smith's "The World's Religions: Our Great Wisdom Traditions" is one of the best, and possibly the very best, introduction to the great faiths and indigenous faiths of the world ever composed. It was written after Smith's highly acclaimed Public Television series "The Religions of Man" back in the late 1950's. I use this book as the primary text book for my class "An Introduction to the World's Religions" which I teach at the Osher Life-long Learning Institute under the auspices of Rutgers University. Whether or not you are a spiritually inclined person, culturally, you will find this one of the most interesting and well-written books you have ever read. Smith's mastery of our English language is astounding, and he regularly turns instructive prose into poetic works of art. |
The World's Wisdom: Sacred Texts of the World's Religions by Philip Novak Philip Novak developed this wonderful book as a companion to "The World"s Religions." Have you ever wanted to know how the sacred scriptures of other religions move and inspire people of different faiths? This book will help you in your search. It is introduced by Huston Smith and contains some of the most beautiful and eloquent sacred writings from human-kind's great collection of religious wisdom. |
Finding Your Religion: When the Faith Your Grew Up With Has Lost Its Meaning by Reverend Scotty McLellan
I'll let someone else describe this very helpful book, and do a much better job than I could do. By the way, do you remember the Reverend Scotty Sloan, "the fighting priest who can talk to the young?" - from Doonesbury? Well, here's your chance to meet the fellow who inspired the character. From Publishers Weekly: "McLennan, the Tufts University Chaplain who inspired Doonesbury cartoonist Garry Trudeau's character Reverend Scotty Sloan, shares six steps of a spiritual journey. McLennan targets those who have left the tradition in which they were raised, or those who grew up without any religious background and are now open to a spiritual dimension in their lives. McLennan points out that most people don't get through all the steps and that, often, the steps can intertwine. He sees all religious journeys, be they Bah'!, Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu, Christian or others, as starting with a beckoning of the "spiritual mountain." Readers take the first step by thinking about faith, by opening themselves to the possibilities. The next step is to choose a certain path (religious leanings) and start walking up the mountain. Readers are then encouraged to join fellow travelers of the same bent and, as they grow in that direction, to encompass journeys from other traditions to enrich their own direction. Prayer and meditation, the next step, help mature the inner being. Finally, McLennan speaks of suffering and rejoicing as two important components in any religion and personal spiri-tuality. This is an entertaining, gentle and affirming book for anyone contemplating such a journey." |