Encountering Religion: An Introduction to the Religions of the World

Rating:
Summary: great text
Review: this is a great textbook - I have recommended it to lots of the kids I work with in churches - it is balanced and treats all the traditions with equal respect. Good readable style and good resources for further study.

Rating:
Summary: Best intro to study of religion I have encountered
Review: This is an excellent textbook, written by gifted communicators. I have read many introductions to religions as I am now a graduate student studying religion and theology, and this by far is the best I have come across. Each chapter is written by specialists and what I liked best was the engaging style of the writing as well as the considerable expertise brought to bear on the topics. One especially good point was that the text includes stuff not normally seen in intros of this sort, namely the chapters on various disciplines in religious studies - like psychology and sociology of religion, religion and the fine arts, religion and culture.... I highly recommend it.