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Rating: 
Summary: One does not have to be a Buddhist to critique it
Review: Anyone who wishes to understand the views of other religions and philosophies had better read books by those people who believe in and practice them. A Christian writing a book on Hinduism or Buddhism is an exercise in futility, because he/she hasn't the mindset, the experience, the worldview that will allow an inside understanding and sympathetic presentation of the other beliefs. Would the reviewer who talked about praying for all those mislead, unChristian people read a book on Christianity written by the Dalai Lama? And even if he read it, would he even for a moment allow himself to take it seriously? No. So, in the end, a book such as this is basically a propaganda missive designed to scare Christians or would-be seekers away from a diligent, objective, and honest inquiry. What a pity that there are people in the world actually willing to buy--and believe!--such junk.
Rating:
Summary: Brief, But Good to Build On.
Review: One thing that must be addressed at the outset is that this book is a book for Christian witness. It is not a platform for analyzing perspectives but very much a tool for winning people for Christ. Dr. Boa clearly states. "This book is PRIMARILY DIRECTED TO CHRISTIANS, particularly those who find themselves uninformed and bewildered by these religious movements." Page 8 Another observation that must be addressed is that this work is concise, there's NO WAY to write an authoritative book in 280 pages all these different belief structures and Dr. Kenneth Boa makes no bones about hiding that fact. He alludes to the fact that there are many faces to the religions; "There are so many schools of Hindu thought today that almost anything we say about this vast religion MUST BE QUALIFIED." Page 17. Though the context of that statement is Hinduism, that could be applied to ANY of the material in this book. Don't let brevity be a negative. If you are a true student of people and really want to fulfill the purpose of this book, this is a fantastic place to start, where this book does it's most good. If you think this is all you need to fully understand any of these religions, Nope!, you will have more research awaiting you which is a good thing if this is a type of ministry that you feel called to. Each chapter is presented as the following: 1. Background and Teachings - in a very basic form, but gives you an grasp of the movement.
2. Biblical Evaluation - Which at least get's you thinking critically/scholarly Biblically in terms of their teaching.
3. Things to Keep in Mind - Strategy points for sharing the Gospel. From the couple of religions that I have studied, there will be a need for more information because the details of these religions are always in flux. It's not a matter of the material becoming obslete neccessarily (some of it is historical origin), but some of these organizations might have doctrinal "changes" because of new "revelations". If you're a Christian and know nothing about any of these religions, this makes a handy reference book offering a bird's eye view about what these movements teach. For what it is designed to do, it is a good little book.
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Summary: A must for both the christian and non-christian
Review: This book is an updated version of Cults, World Religions, and You, published thirteen years ealier. It is a good overview about the beliefs of the world's major religions, compared and contrasted with Christianity. Written from the Christian viewpoint, this book is a helpful aid for understanding the basic tenets of belief shared by those of various faiths around the globe. The chapters are fairly short and readable. This book is intended as a general overview for the layman, not a comprehensive encyclopedia.
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Summary: One does not have to be a Buddhist to critique it
Review: This is a good and informative book, and I encourage all to buy it. In answer to the review by Craig S. Shoemake, who says that, in effect, you need to be an insider in order to write about a particular worldview, I would like to point out that his claim is self-refuting. That is, his review writes about Hinduism, Buddhism, and Christianity -- well! is he an adherent to all of them at the same time. If not, then by his own reasoning, he should have kept silent. Don't let the feeble objections of non-Christians bother you. They have no defense against the Christian worldview, and this book does it part in showing you that. Also recommended are any books written by Norman Geisler, Van Til, Greg Bahnsen, R.C. Sproul, and Vincent Cheung.
Rating: 
Summary: What You Would Expect from a Christian
Review: What the author writes is typically what you would expect of a Christian... all others are cults except Christianity. Actually, of all religions, Islam and Christianity are definitely cults. Holy wars----sound familiar? Be prepared to kill in the name of your god---sound familiar? Be prepared to sacrifice your son on the altar---sound familiar? Kill all livestock, women and children---sound familiar? What kind of god would demand these to be done? The God of the Holy Bible. Yes, it's a cult but as Christians they should fabricate reasons to explain these. Reading a book about reviewing religions and cults from a viewpoint of a Christian (the author) is simply a waste of time. A book of foolish, biased views... Please recycle the paper.
Rating:
Summary: What You Would Expect from a Christian
Review: What the author writes is typically what you would expect of a Christian... all others are cults except Christianity. Actually, of all religions, Islam and Christianity are definitely cults. Holy wars----sound familiar? Be prepared to kill in the name of your god---sound familiar? Be prepared to sacrifice your son on the altar---sound familiar? Kill all livestock, women and children---sound familiar? What kind of god would demand these to be done? The God of the Holy Bible. Yes, it's a cult but as Christians they should fabricate reasons to explain these. Reading a book about reviewing religions and cults from a viewpoint of a Christian (the author) is simply a waste of time. A book of foolish, biased views... Please recycle the paper.
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