Ei: Religion - P

Throughout time, people have gone to war solely over differences of religion. I've always been intrigued by what makes religions different. Many of us are brought up to believe that our religion is the one true religion. If you are trying to understand other religions, this book is a good place to start. This book, edited by John Lyden, follows the Enduring Issues series by answering questions by using forty essays written by people devoted to their religion. Lyden provides eight essays in response to each of the five questions that he asks. The five questions are: --What is religion? --What should one think about religions other than one's own? --What is the sacred? --How can one find meaning in life? --What lies beyond death? The eight essays in response to each question come from Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, and Native American Sioux. He begins each essay with a small amount of background into the author and his involvement with his religion.Unsurprisingly, many of these viewpoints are in stark contrast to each other, and there are some amazing similarities across the religions. Some of the essays are very illuminating, and are interesting to read. Other essays are very difficult to understand either because of the writing or of the foreign ideas introduced. If you are looking for definitive answers to the questions above, this is not the book for you. This isn't the type of book that will make you abandon your religion in favor of another, but this book just might get you thinking about these questions as well as providing an appreciation of the difference between these religions.