The Religions of Man

I was fortunate enough to have studied with Dr. Smith at Syracuse University in 1982. He was a very humble, yet exciting man. He told us all about what the update to The World's Religion would contain and gave us personal accounts of his spiritual journey in a way that made us feel like we were there ourselves. The same way his writings reach out to draw you in, in all his books.. He is respectful of all religions, not only... Read Full Review

This book has deep respect for the wisdom traditions and Huston Smith has lived this. A practicing Methodist, Smith had discussions with the Vendanta Society, does Hatha Yoga, and prays five times a day like the Muslims. His perspective is not one looking for divisions within a religion, but as an outsider wanting to understand the experiences. For example, in discussing Islam, he talks about the Sufis, but not about the... Read Full Review

I feel hugely privileged to have spent a weekend with Dr. Smith, receiving an oral overview of this material at the Esalen Institute. I found this most avuncular gentleman to the epitome of sincere faith, and his gentle nature reminded me of the late, great actors Robert Young and Jimmy Stewart.The Illustrated Guide to World Religions provides not only a lucid summary for each of the world's great Wisdom Traditions, but... Read Full Review

Mr. Smith extracts from the world's great religions - Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Islam, Judaism, and Christianity - that which is ideal. He intentionally does not delve into the minutiae of religious history or the many ways in which religion has been used as a vehicle for evil. As he explains, "The empowering theological and metaphysical truths of the world's religions are . . . inspired. Institutions -... Read Full Review