Religions of the World
Questions, Challenges, and New Directions
Leslie Dorrough Smith [+–]
Avila University
Leslie Dorrough Smith is Professor of Religious Studies at Avila University and a member of the Women’s and Gender Studies faculty.
Steven W Ramey [+–]
University of Alabama
Steven W. Ramey is a Professor in Religious Studies at the University of Alabama, where he also directs the Asian Studies Program.
Religions of the World: Questions, Challenges, and New Directions provides a critical introduction to the social, political, and cultural interests that inform how people describe and identify with religion. One of its goals is to provide a sense of methodological transparency that few, if any, other textbooks today offer. The book opens with an Introduction that discusses contemporary methodological concerns in the study of religion, with special focus on the World Religions Paradigm. This is followed by ten chapters, six (6) of which discuss a distinct religion and four (4) of which discuss regional traditions. This
organization is intentional and self-conscious, as the authors discuss how these scholarly categories (distinct tradition vs. regional tradition) shape the ways that both insiders and outsiders discuss, practice, and engage religion in their daily lives.
Each chapter introduces four different popular descriptions, or representations, of a particular religion or regional tradition. Following each representation is an analysis of what this representation accomplishes for those who promote it and what (or who) it also leaves out. Following this, a specific case study provides a real-world example of the difficulties in thinking about religion in overly simplistic ways. The text does not attempt to diminish or reconcile the possible contradictions between the different representations so as not to leave the reader with the idea that one representation is more correct or authentic than another, or that all four can be easily stitched together to make a tidy picture. Instead, students take away from each chapter a foundation of knowledge about the practices, issues, and conceptions that are associated with global religious traditions as well as the complexity behind any single representation.
The objective is to make more transparent the human activity of constructing religion as well as the contemporary consequences of these representations, as people use them to legitimize identities and negotiate for social, legal, and economic resources. Thus, throughout the text, students are challenged to interrogate who gets to decide on a particular portrayal of a religious tradition as well as the interests informing those decisions. An Afterword also discusses ways that the skills learned in the text have applicability beyond the study of religious discourses.
Table of Contents
Prelims
List of Figures vii-xv
Avila University
Leslie Dorrough Smith is Professor of Religious Studies at Avila University and a member of the Women’s and Gender Studies faculty.
University of Alabama
Steven W. Ramey is a Professor in Religious Studies at the University of Alabama, where he also directs the Asian Studies Program.
List of Text Boxes xvii
Avila University
Leslie Dorrough Smith is Professor of Religious Studies at Avila University and a member of the Women’s and Gender Studies faculty.
University of Alabama
Steven W. Ramey is a Professor in Religious Studies at the University of Alabama, where he also directs the Asian Studies Program.
Sources and Acknowledgements xix-xxvii
Avila University
Leslie Dorrough Smith is Professor of Religious Studies at Avila University and a member of the Women’s and Gender Studies faculty.
University of Alabama
Steven W. Ramey is a Professor in Religious Studies at the University of Alabama, where he also directs the Asian Studies Program.
Avila University
Leslie Dorrough Smith is Professor of Religious Studies at Avila University and a member of the Women’s and Gender Studies faculty.
University of Alabama
Steven W. Ramey is a Professor in Religious Studies at the University of Alabama, where he also directs the Asian Studies Program.
Introduction
Introduction 1-25
Avila University
Leslie Dorrough Smith is Professor of Religious Studies at Avila University and a member of the Women’s and Gender Studies faculty.
University of Alabama
Steven W. Ramey is a Professor in Religious Studies at the University of Alabama, where he also directs the Asian Studies Program.
Chapter 1
African Religions [+–] 27-66
Avila University
Leslie Dorrough Smith is Professor of Religious Studies at Avila University and a member of the Women’s and Gender Studies faculty.
University of Alabama
Steven W. Ramey is a Professor in Religious Studies at the University of Alabama, where he also directs the Asian Studies Program.
This chapter explores and then interrogates four different representations of African Religions. The first representation examines the diverse practices across the continent that people often combine under the label “African Religions.” The second representation analyzes the beliefs and practices of the Yoruba to illustrate the complexity within one of the largest and most influential forms of African Religion. The third representation considers how practitioners of traditional African religions have interacted with Muslims and Christians, since Islam and Christianity have both had a presence in the African continent since the very beginning of each religion. The fourth representation focuses on African Religions as political influence, emphasizing how the different constructions and representations of that category reflect a range of social interests.
Chapter 2
Buddhism [+–] 67-102
Avila University
Leslie Dorrough Smith is Professor of Religious Studies at Avila University and a member of the Women’s and Gender Studies faculty.
University of Alabama
Steven W. Ramey is a Professor in Religious Studies at the University of Alabama, where he also directs the Asian Studies Program.
This chapter explores and then interrogates four popular perspectives on Buddhism. The first emphasizes the teachings of the historical Buddha, Siddharta Gautama, and the ways he is described in traditional narratives of Theravada Buddhism. The second representation focuses on the importance of compassion, including the concept of the bodhisattva in Mahayana Buddhism and those who identify with Engaged Buddhism. The third representation identifies the practice of meditation (in a variety of forms) as central to the practice of Buddhism, describing elements associated with Zen and Tibetan practices, among others. Finally, the fourth representation describes Buddhism in relation to political influence, illustrating the diverse ways that leaders identified with Buddhist movements have engaged the world in ways that have been both violent and non-violent.
Chapter 3
Chinese Religions [+–] 103-142
Avila University
Leslie Dorrough Smith is Professor of Religious Studies at Avila University and a member of the Women’s and Gender Studies faculty.
University of Alabama
Steven W. Ramey is a Professor in Religious Studies at the University of Alabama, where he also directs the Asian Studies Program.
This chapter explores and then interrogates four different representations of Chinese Religion. The first focuses on the Three Teachings. This term, referencing Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism, shows how many who identify as Chinese see them as complementary teachings rather than completely separate religions. The second representation emphasizes devotional practices as the most important component of Chinese Religion. These practices generally incorporate devotion to divine figures without emphasizing the tradition (if any) with which they are classically affiliated. The third representation identifies filial piety, the notion of respecting parents and elders above personal interests, as the main component of Chinese religion. The final representation connects the practices and discourses of Chinese religions to the process of legal classification, which is most evident in the recognition of five official religions within the government of contemporary China.
Chapter 4
Christianity [+–] 143-183
Avila University
Leslie Dorrough Smith is Professor of Religious Studies at Avila University and a member of the Women’s and Gender Studies faculty.
University of Alabama
Steven W. Ramey is a Professor in Religious Studies at the University of Alabama, where he also directs the Asian Studies Program.
This chapter explores and then interrogates four popular perspectives on Christianity. The first understands Christianity as the teachings of Jesus, which includes a wide range of interpretations of these teachings as well as the significance of Jesus as a figure. The second views Christianity as the Christian theological tradition, describing the main institutional forms and their development, as well as the multitude of groups that do not fit neatly within those forms. The third considers Christianity to be an individual relationship with God that people express in a variety of different personal experiences. This representation also considers how groups decide which religious experiences are considered legitimate (and which are not). Finally, the fourth perspective describes Christianity as a means of cultural/political influence.
Chapter 5
Hinduism [+–] 185-223
Avila University
Leslie Dorrough Smith is Professor of Religious Studies at Avila University and a member of the Women’s and Gender Studies faculty.
University of Alabama
Steven W. Ramey is a Professor in Religious Studies at the University of Alabama, where he also directs the Asian Studies Program.
This chapter explores and then interrogates four popular perspectives on Hinduism that both insiders and scholars have used to describe Hinduism as a religion. The first perspective portrays Hinduism primarily as devotion to multiple gods, introducing a few of these deities and some of the common ritualized practices related to them. The second takes a more textual approach by emphasizing the role of the Vedas as the sacred texts of Hinduism, both in ritual settings and in defining the boundaries of Hinduism. This view considers colonial definitions of religion as well as colonial preferences for the views of particular Hindus. The third perspective regards Hinduism as a special kind of knowledge about humans and their relation to the cosmos, commonly labeled the philosophy of Vedanta. The fourth considers Hinduism as a type of cultural influence that extends well beyond what has traditionally been defined as religion.
Chapter 6
Indigenous Religions in North America [+–] 225-267
Avila University
Leslie Dorrough Smith is Professor of Religious Studies at Avila University and a member of the Women’s and Gender Studies faculty.
University of Alabama
Steven W. Ramey is a Professor in Religious Studies at the University of Alabama, where he also directs the Asian Studies Program.
This chapter explores and then interrogates four different representations of Indigenous traditions of North America. The first representation focuses on differences between Indigenous groups in North America, using a few example communities to highlight ways that their practices, in part, reflect elements of their local environments. The second representation presents and then analyzes romanticized representations of Indigenous religions in North America as containing unique wisdom or knowledge. The third representation concentrates on contemporary forms of Indigenous religions in North America, including interactions with settlers and missionaries. The fourth representation, which examines how Indigenous religions have had political influence, emphasizes interactions with non-Indigenous peoples. It considers the ways various descriptions of Indigenous traditions have been used to increase (or decrease) the political influence of both Indigenous and non-indigenous groups.
Chapter 7
Islam [+–] 269-311
Avila University
Leslie Dorrough Smith is Professor of Religious Studies at Avila University and a member of the Women’s and Gender Studies faculty.
University of Alabama
Steven W. Ramey is a Professor in Religious Studies at the University of Alabama, where he also directs the Asian Studies Program.
This chapter explores and then interrogates four popular perspectives on Islam. We begin with a focus on Islam as a prophetic tradition that teaches compassion and hospitality, relating the general narrative of Muhammad and the emphasis on caring for the widow and orphan within portions of the Qur’an. The second representation emphasizes how Islam promotes submission to God, following practices defined in the Five Pillars and interpretations of Sharia. Here we focus on how people who identify with Islam generate a range of interpretations of what is required and what is not. The third representation highlights the significance of experience within Islamic mystical practices, focusing on Sufi understandings of Islam. The fourth representation discusses the cultural influence attributed to Islam, analyzing different ways that that influence has been described within and outside of Muslim communities.
Chapter 8
Japanese Religions [+–] 313-348
Avila University
Leslie Dorrough Smith is Professor of Religious Studies at Avila University and a member of the Women’s and Gender Studies faculty.
University of Alabama
Steven W. Ramey is a Professor in Religious Studies at the University of Alabama, where he also directs the Asian Studies Program.
This chapter explores and then interrogates four different representations of Japanese Religion. In the first, a popular, romanticized view of Japanese religion emphasizes what are often seen as its meditative and peaceful components. A second representation emphasizes the distinctions and tensions between foreign religions and indigenous traditions, differences that some people in Japan continually contest in discussions of what they identify as Japanese. In contrast, a third representation of Japanese religions highlights the ways Shinto and Buddhism intersect and people participate in both in Japan, even though Shinto is often seen as indigenous and Buddhism as foreign. The fourth representation discusses the ways various governments have constructed Japanese religions through different legal classifications.
Chapter 9
Judaism [+–] 349-388
Avila University
Leslie Dorrough Smith is Professor of Religious Studies at Avila University and a member of the Women’s and Gender Studies faculty.
University of Alabama
Steven W. Ramey is a Professor in Religious Studies at the University of Alabama, where he also directs the Asian Studies Program.
This chapter explores and then interrogates four different representations of Judaism. The first representation considers the idea that Judaism is, fundamentally, a tradition of texts, examining which groups tend to favor this portrayal and why. The second representation examines Judaism as a modern religious institution, with special focus on the branches of Judaism and their major forms of practice, as well as a consideration of the types of Jews who are often left out of these major categories. The third viewpoint looks at Judaism as an ethnic identity. This includes an examination of major ethnic groups, holiday observances, lifecycle rituals, and dress, and it considers how an ethnic identity may work alongside or even in the absence of a religious identity for many Jews. The fourth and final representation examines how Jews have influenced (and been influenced by) the cultures of which they’ve been a part, including discussions (and debates) over Israel/Palestine, anti-Semitism, and the role of Jewish humor.
Chapter 10
Sikhism [+–] 389-423
Avila University
Leslie Dorrough Smith is Professor of Religious Studies at Avila University and a member of the Women’s and Gender Studies faculty.
University of Alabama
Steven W. Ramey is a Professor in Religious Studies at the University of Alabama, where he also directs the Asian Studies Program.
This chapter explores and then interrogates four different representations of Sikhism. The chapter begins by focusing on Sikhism as a type of devotion to the lineage of gurus that began with Nanak. The second representation emphasizes the philosophical construction of the divine as being formless, a notion that, traditionally, rejected some of the practices that we could label as Hinduism. The third representation features the notion of service within Sikhism, which many Sikhs argue is distinctive of the movement: that they work to defend the human dignity of all. The final representation in this chapter focuses on Sikhism as a legal classification, with particular emphasis on the process of Sikhism being recognized as a separate religion from Hinduism.
Afterword
Afterword 425-428
Avila University
Leslie Dorrough Smith is Professor of Religious Studies at Avila University and a member of the Women’s and Gender Studies faculty.
University of Alabama
Steven W. Ramey is a Professor in Religious Studies at the University of Alabama, where he also directs the Asian Studies Program.
End Matter
Glossary: Religions of the World 429-443
Avila University
Leslie Dorrough Smith is Professor of Religious Studies at Avila University and a member of the Women’s and Gender Studies faculty.
University of Alabama
Steven W. Ramey is a Professor in Religious Studies at the University of Alabama, where he also directs the Asian Studies Program.
Index 445-452
Avila University
Leslie Dorrough Smith is Professor of Religious Studies at Avila University and a member of the Women’s and Gender Studies faculty.
University of Alabama
Steven W. Ramey is a Professor in Religious Studies at the University of Alabama, where he also directs the Asian Studies Program.
ISBN-13 (Hardback)
9781800503755
Price (Hardback)
£90.00 / $115.00
ISBN-13 (Paperback)
9781800503762
Price (Paperback)
£47.50 / $60.00
ISBN (eBook)
9781800503779
Price (eBook)
Individual
£47.50 / $60.00
Institutional
£550.00 / $700.00
£47.50 / $60.00
Institutional
£550.00 / $700.00
Publication
19/02/2024
Pages
484
Size
254 x 203mm
Readership
students
Illustration
192 colour and black and white figures
