Advertisement
| religious literacy stephen prothero: Religious Literacy Stephen Prothero, 2009-10-13 The United States is one of the most religious places on earth, but it is also a nation of shocking religious illiteracy. Only 10 percent of American teenagers can name all five major world religions and 15 percent cannot name any. Nearly two-thirds of Americans believe that the Bible holds the answers to all or most of life's basic questions, yet only half of American adults can name even one of the four gospels and most Americans cannot name the first book of the Bible. Despite this lack of basic knowledge, politicians and pundits continue to root public policy arguments in religious rhetoric whose meanings are missed—or misinterpreted—by the vast majority of Americans. We have a major civic problem on our hands, says religion scholar Stephen Prothero. He makes the provocative case that to remedy this problem, we should return to teaching religion in the public schools. Alongside reading, writing, and arithmetic, religion ought to become the Fourth R of American education. Many believe that America's descent into religious illiteracy was the doing of activist judges and secularists hell-bent on banishing religion from the public square. Prothero reveals that this is a profound misunderstanding. In one of the great ironies of American religious history, Prothero writes, it was the nation's most fervent people of faith who steered us down the road to religious illiteracy. Just how that happened is one of the stories this book has to tell. Prothero avoids the trap of religious relativism by addressing both the core tenets of the world's major religions and the real differences among them. Complete with a dictionary of the key beliefs, characters, and stories of Christianity, Islam, and other religions, Religious Literacy reveals what every American needs to know in order to confront the domestic and foreign challenges facing this country today. |
| religious literacy stephen prothero: Religious Literacy Stephen R. Prothero, 2007-03-13 From the author of American Jesus comes an essential religious primer and an argument for why religion must become the Rfourth RS of American education. |
| religious literacy stephen prothero: God Is Not One Stephen Prothero, 2010-09-20 fascinating guide to religion and its place in the world today. In God Is Not One, bestselling author Stephen Prothero makes a fresh and provocative argument that, contrary to popular understanding, all religions are not simply ''different paths to the same God.'' Instead, he shows that the differences between the major religions are far greater than we think: they each ask different questions, tackle different problems, and aim at different goals. God Is Not One highlights the unique aspects of the world's major religions, with chapters on Islam, Christianity, Confucianism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Yoruba religion, Judaism, Daoism and atheism. Lucid and compelling, God Is Not One offers a new understanding of religion for the twenty-first century. |
| religious literacy stephen prothero: Religion Matters Prothero, Stephen, 2020-07-01 A religion is a system of stories, and there is no better way to engage with the worldÕs religions than through the stories that animate their beliefs and practices. Through the exploration of these ancient stories and contemporary practices, Stephen Prothero, a New York TimesÐbestselling author and gifted storyteller, helps students better grasp the role of religion in our fractured world and to develop greater religious literacy. Videos and an award-winning adaptive learning tool, InQuizitive, further engage students and help them master core objectives and develop their own religious literacy. |
| religious literacy stephen prothero: Religious Literacy , 2007 The United States is one of the most religious societies, but it is also a nation of religious illiteracy. Only 10 percent of American teenagers can name all five major world religions and 15 percent cannot name any. Nearly two-thirds of Americans believe that the Bible holds the answers to life's basic questions, yet only half of American adults can name even one of the four gospels. Politicians and pundits continue to root public policy arguments in religious rhetoric whose meanings are missed--or misinterpreted--by most Americans. Scholar Prothero makes the provocative case that to remedy this problem, we should return to teaching religion in the public schools. In one of the great ironies of American religious history, he writes, it was the nation's most fervent people of faith who steered us down the road to religious illiteracy. Just how that happened is one of the stories this book has to tell. He also offers practical solutions, including a Dictionary of Religious Literacy--key terms, beliefs, characters, and stories that every American should understand.--From publisher description. |
| religious literacy stephen prothero: Purified by Fire Stephen Prothero, 2001 Publisher Fact Sheet A history of cremation in America. |
| religious literacy stephen prothero: Religion Matters Stephen Prothero, 2020-01-19 A religion is a system of stories, and there is no better way to engage with the world's religions than through the stories that animate their beliefs and practices. Through the exploration of these ancient stories and contemporary practices, Stephen Prothero, a New York Times-bestselling author and gifted storyteller, helps students better grasp the role of religion in our fractured world and to develop greater religious literacy. Videos and an award-winning adaptive learning tool, InQuizitive, further engage students and help them master core objectives and develop their own religious literacy. |
| religious literacy stephen prothero: Biblical Literacy Timothy Beal, 2010-10-12 Everything You Need to Know About the Bible’s Most Important Stories. |
| religious literacy stephen prothero: Why Liberals Win the Culture Wars (Even When They Lose Elections) Stephen Prothero, 2016-01-05 In this timely, carefully reasoned social history of the United States, the New York Times bestselling author of Religious Literacy and God Is Not One places today’s heated culture wars within the context of a centuries-long struggle of right versus left and religious versus secular to reveal how, ultimately, liberals always win. Though they may seem to be dividing the country irreparably, today’s heated cultural and political battles between right and left, Progressives and Tea Party, religious and secular are far from unprecedented. In this engaging and important work, Stephen Prothero reframes the current debate, viewing it as the latest in a number of flashpoints that have shaped our national identity. Prothero takes us on a lively tour through time, bringing into focus the election of 1800, which pitted Calvinists and Federalists against Jeffersonians and “infidels;” the Protestants’ campaign against Catholics in the mid-nineteenth century; the anti-Mormon crusade of the Victorian era; the fundamentalist-modernist debates of the 1920s; the culture wars of the 1980s and 1990s; and the current crusade against Islam. As Prothero makes clear, our culture wars have always been religious wars, progressing through the same stages of conservative reaction to liberal victory that eventually benefit all Americans. Drawing on his impressive depth of knowledge and detailed research, he explains how competing religious beliefs have continually molded our political, economic, and sociological discourse and reveals how the conflicts which separate us today, like those that came before, are actually the byproduct of our struggle to come to terms with inclusiveness and ideals of “Americanness.” To explore these battles, he reminds us, is to look into the soul of America—and perhaps find essential answers to the questions that beset us. |
| religious literacy stephen prothero: American Jesus Stephen Prothero, 2003-12-15 In Prothero's incisive chronicle, the emergence of a cult of Jesus--as folk hero and commercial icon--is America's most distinctive contribution to Western religion. |
| religious literacy stephen prothero: Introducing American Religion Charles H. Lippy, 2009 |
| religious literacy stephen prothero: Overcoming Religious Illiteracy D. Moore, 2007-10-02 In Overcoming Religious Illiteracy, Harvard professor and Phillips Academy teacher Diane L. Moore argues that though the United States is one of the most religiously diverse nations in the world, the vast majority of citizens are woefully ignorant about religion itself and the basic tenets of the world's major religious traditions. The consequences of this religious illiteracy are profound and include fueling the culture wars, curtailing historical understanding and promoting religious and racial bigotry. In this volume, Moore combines theory with practice to articulate how to incorporate the study of religion into the schools in ways that will invigorate classrooms and enhance democratic discourse in the public sphere. |
| religious literacy stephen prothero: Religion Matters Stephen Prothero, 2023-11-16 Cultivating religious literacy through diverse stories and dynamic learning tools |
| religious literacy stephen prothero: The Routledge Handbook of Religious Literacy, Pluralism, and Global Engagement Chris Seiple, Dennis Hoover, 2021-12 This pioneering handbook proposes an approach to pluralism that is relational, principled, and non-relativistic, going beyond banal calls for mere tolerance. The growing religious diversity within societies around the world presents both challenges and opportunities. A degree of competition between deeply held religious/worldview perspectives is natural and inevitable, yet at the same time the world urgently needs engagement and partnership across lines of difference. None of the world's most pressing problems can be solved by any single actor, and as such it is not a question of if but when you partner with an individual or institution that does not think, act, or believe as you do. The authors argue that religious literacy - defined as a dynamic combination of competencies and skills, continuously refined through real-world cross-cultural engagement - is vital to building societies and states of neighborly solidarity and civic fairness. Through examination, reflection, and case studies across multiple faith traditions and professional fields, this handbook equips scholars and students, as well as policymakers and practitioners, to assess, analyze, and act collaboratively in a world of deep diversity-- |
| religious literacy stephen prothero: Significant Others Monte Cox, 2017-09-12 A generation ago, most Americans had little or no contact with Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, or any other adherents of non- Christian religions. Now our culture is much more pluralistic. In addition to these “others,” many Westerners, disenchanted with Christianity, are more inclined than they were a generation ago to dabble in new spiritual alternatives that were not as readily available here before. Many Christians feel intimidated by these changes. Many Christians don’t know how to engage their newest non- Christian neighbors in conversation, partly because they feel ignorant about the religions practiced by others. Significant Others seeks to fill this knowledge gap so readers will become more acquainted with the religious backgrounds of devout non- Christians they are meeting, as well as with the growing number of American people who claim no religious affiliation at all. Each chapter outlines the major world religions according to their significant founders or leading figures, significant beliefs and practices, significant sects and developments, and significant points of contact and points of contrast with Christian faith. |
| religious literacy stephen prothero: The White Buddhist Stephen Prothero, 2010-11-29 Denounced by the New York Times as an unmitigated rascal while simultaneously being lauded as a reincarnation of Gautama Buddha himself, Henry Steel Olcott (1832–1907) was friend to Madame Blavatsky, co-founder of the Theosophical Society, and an indefatigable reformer and culture broker between East and West. Olcott helped bring about a new spiritual creation, Protestant Buddhism, a creative creolization of American Protestantism, traditional Theravada Buddhism, and other influences. Stephen Prothero's portrait of Olcott is an engaging study of spiritual quest and cross-cultural encounters. |
| religious literacy stephen prothero: The Future of Faith Harvey Cox, 2010-10-05 The Rise and Fall of Belief and the Coming Age of the Spirit There is an essential change taking place in what it means to be “religious” today. As religious people shift their focus to ethical guidelines and spiritual disciplines—not doctrine—we are seeing a universal trend away from hierarchical, regional, patriarchal, and institutional religion. Now, legendary Harvard scholar Harvey Cox offers a new interpretation of the history and future of religion, revealing how doctrines and dogma are giving way to new grassroots movements based in community, social justice, and spiritual experience. The Future of Faith is a major statement and a hopeful vision from one of the most revered theologians today. |
| religious literacy stephen prothero: Faith Ed Linda K. Wertheimer, 2016-08-23 An intimate cross-country look at the new debate over religion in the public schools A suburban Boston school unwittingly started a firestorm of controversy over a sixth-grade field trip. The class was visiting a mosque to learn about world religions when a handful of boys, unnoticed by their teachers, joined the line of worshippers and acted out the motions of the Muslim call to prayer. A video of the prayer went viral with the title “Wellesley, Massachusetts Public School Students Learn to Pray to Allah.” Charges flew that the school exposed the children to Muslims who intended to convert American schoolchildren. Wellesley school officials defended the course, but also acknowledged the delicate dance teachers must perform when dealing with religion in the classroom. Courts long ago banned public school teachers from preaching of any kind. But the question remains: How much should schools teach about the world’s religions? Answering that question in recent decades has pitted schools against their communities. Veteran education journalist Linda K. Wertheimer spent months with that class, and traveled to other communities around the nation, listening to voices on all sides of the controversy, including those of clergy, teachers, children, and parents who are Muslim, Jewish, Christian, Sikh, or atheist. In Lumberton, Texas, nearly a hundred people filled a school-board meeting to protest a teacher’s dress-up exercise that allowed freshman girls to try on a burka as part of a lesson on Islam. In Wichita, Kansas, a Messianic Jewish family’s opposition to a bulletin-board display about Islam in an elementary school led to such upheaval that the school had to hire extra security. Across the country, parents have requested that their children be excused from lessons on Hinduism and Judaism out of fear they will shy away from their own faiths. But in Modesto, a city in the heart of California’s Bible Belt, teachers have avoided problems since 2000, when the school system began requiring all high school freshmen to take a world religions course. Students receive comprehensive lessons on the three major world religions, as well as on Sikhism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and often Shintoism, Taoism, and Confucianism. One Pentecostal Christian girl, terrified by “idols,” including a six-inch gold Buddha, learned to be comfortable with other students’ beliefs. Wertheimer’s fascinating investigation, which includes a return to her rural Ohio school, which once ran weekly Christian Bible classes, reveals a public education system struggling to find the right path forward and offers a promising roadmap for raising a new generation of religiously literate Americans. |
| religious literacy stephen prothero: The Kingdom of Matthias Paul E. Johnson, Sean Wilentz, 1995-08-03 Written by distinguished historians with the force of a novel, this book reconstructs the web of religious ecstacy, greed, and seduction within the cult of the Prophet Matthias in New York in 1834 and captures the heated atmosphere of the religious revival known as the Second Great Awakening. Illustrations. |
| religious literacy stephen prothero: Between Church and State James W. Fraser, 2000-09-02 Today, the ongoing battle between religion and public education is once again a burning issue in the United States. Prayer in the classroom, the teaching of creationism, the representation of sexuality in the classroom, and the teaching of morals are just a few of the subjects over which these institutions are skirmishing. James Fraser shows that though these battles have been going on for as long as there have been public schools, there has never been any consensus about the proper relationship between religion and public education. Looking at the most difficult question of how private issues of faith can be reconciled with the very public nature of schooling, Fraser paints a picture of our multicultural society that takes our relationship with God into account. |
| religious literacy stephen prothero: The Single Gospel Neil Averitt, 2015-09-17 The life of Jesus is at the heart of the Christian faith, and is one of the great works of Western literature. This book presents the story in a new form, more accessible than ever before. It weaves the four separate gospel accounts into one continuous story. And it presents the story in a new translation: traditional, but clear. Here the reader can find the episodes laid out in an understandable narrative sequence. The nativity at Bethlehem is followed by the visit of the wise men. And for each scene the rich details are collected from all the gospel accounts, giving a complete picture of complex events like the Sermon on the Mount or Jesus' climactic encounter with Pilate. The new language is clear as well. It is traditional scripture inconspicuously updated for modern readers, supplemented with contemporary language for difficult concepts, and using the grand and familiar language of the King James where appropriate. Low-key explanations fill in the details. Short footnotes explain the key concepts, and longer endnotes provide additional depth. This book opens the gospels to everyone--Christians who want to better understand their faith, and general readers who want to rediscover a great work of literature. |
| religious literacy stephen prothero: Does God Make a Difference? Warren A. Nord, 2010 Most public schools avoid teaching their students about religion, and university students must enroll in religious studies courses in order to learn about it. Warren Nord shows that these practices are not religiously neutral; in fact, they border on secular indoctrination. Nord uses an examination of textbooks to make a case for the study of religion in schools and universities, and explains how such study came to be neglected. He makes a number of arguments for taking religion seriously in the curriculum: most importantly, that a liberal education and critical thinking require it, as does moral education. There are also civic reasons for taking religion seriously, and constitutional religious neutrality requires it. What is to be done? Nord proposes a two-part solution to the problem. First, he argues for a required religion course in both high schools and universities. Second, he contends that religion must become a field within secondary education. He concludes by showing how religion could be taken seriously within the main subject areas of the curriculum. Nord's goal is not just to understand conflicts in our culture wars, but to propose a solution that is theoretically sound and practical and can be implemented by incremental steps in the right direction. |
| religious literacy stephen prothero: God in Proof Nathan Schneider, 2013-06-10 In this tour of the history of arguments for and against the existence of God, Nathan Schneider embarks on a remarkable intellectual, historical, and theological journey through the centuries of believers and unbelieversÑfrom ancient Greeks, to medieval Arabs, to todayÕs most eminent philosophers and the New Atheists. Framed by an account of SchneiderÕs own unique journey, God in Proof illuminates the great minds who wrestled with one of historyÕs biggest questions together with their arguments, bringing them to life in their time, and our own. SchneiderÕs sure-handed portrayal of the characters and ideas involved in the search for proof challenges how we normally think about doubt and faith while showing that, in their quest for certainty and the proofs to declare it, thinkers on either side of the God divide are often closer to one another than they would like to think. |
| religious literacy stephen prothero: Get Lost Stephen Prothero, 2019-08-06 In this inspiring manifesto, the New York Times bestselling author of Religious Literacy and God Is Not One calls us to embrace an ancient practice at the heart of many religions and cultures—wandering—to help us reconnect with our own souls and find renewed meaning in our lives. The overwhelming focus on increased efficiency and incessant drive in today’s globalized world may benefit corporate bottom lines, but it is having an adverse impact on everyday lives. Navigating our way in a world defined by constant stimulation and the demand to always be moving forward has left us feeling unmoored, unsettled, and strangely uncomfortable in our own skin. Stephen Prothero, too, has felt the anxiety, strain, and alienation caused by modern life. Enduring a divorce and a sudden move, the scholar and writer embarked on an experiment that would prove transformative and deeply satisfying. Instead of adhering to a rigid schedule, he allowed himself to embrace a time-honored spiritual practice that values exploration and intrepidness: wandering. Prothero made time to wander, both physically, through travel, and intellectually, through reading and study. Get Lost is an exploration of the social, psychological, and spiritual virtues of this ancient tradition and how it has been exercised and cherished throughout history—yet is devalued by contemporary culture’s obsession with constant productivity and success. By pointing to models and stories of those who wander, from the Buddha to Jack Kerouac to the biblical Hagar to Mary Oliver, Prothero provides an antidote to what ails our purpose-driven society. He calls for the practice of unsettling yourself as a necessary first step in the journey to discover who we are and understand the true meaning of being home. |
| religious literacy stephen prothero: The Norton Anthology of World Religions Biale, David, Miles, Jack, 2015-02-19 This magisterial Norton Anthology, edited by world-renowned scholars, offers a portable library of more than 1,000 primary texts from the world 's major religions. To help readers encounter strikingly unfamiliar texts with pleasure; accessible introductions, headnotes, annotations, pronouncing glossaries, maps, illustrations and chronologies are provided. For readers of any religion or none, The Norton Anthology of World Religions opens new worlds that, as Miles writes, invite us to see others with a measure of openness, empathy, and good will... Unprecedented in scope and approach, The Norton Anthology of World Religions: Judaism brings together over 300 texts from pre-Israelite Mesopotamia to post-Holocaust Israel and America. The volume features Jack Miles 's illuminating General Introduction - “How the West Learned to Compare Religions” - as well as David Biale 's “Israel among the Nations,” a lively primer on Jewish history and the core teachings of Judaism. |
| religious literacy stephen prothero: The First Amendment and State Bans on Teachers' Religious Garb Nathan C. Walker, 2019-08-28 Examining the twelve-decade legal conflict of government bans on religious garb worn by teachers in U.S. public schools, this book provides comprehensive documentation and analysis of the historical origins and subsequent development of teachers’ religious garb in relation to contemporary legal challenges within the United Nations and the European Union. By identifying and correcting factual errors in the literature about historical bans on teachers’ garb, Walker demonstrates that there are still substantial and unresolved legal questions to the constitutionality of state garb statutes and reflects on how the contemporary conflicts are historically rooted. Showcased through a wealth of laws and case studies, this book is divided into eight clear and concise chapters and answers questions such as: what are anti-religious-garb laws?; how have the state and federal court decisions evolved?; what are the constitutional standards?; what are the establishment clause and free exercise clause arguments?; and how has this impacted current debates on teachers’ religious garb?, before concluding with an informative summary of the points discussed throughout. The First Amendment and State Bans on Teachers’ Religious Garb is the ideal resource for researchers, academics, and postgraduate students in the fields of education, religion, education policy, sociology of education, and law, or those looking to explore an in-depth development of the laws and debates surrounding teachers’ religious garb within the last 125 years. |
| religious literacy stephen prothero: Unprotected Texts Jennifer Wright Knust, 2011-01-25 “An explosive, fascinating book that reveals how the Bible cannot be used as a rulebook when it comes to sex. A terrific read by a top scholar.” —Bart Ehrman, author of Misquoting Jesus Boston University’s cutting-edge religion scholar Jennifer Wright Knust reveals the Bible’s contradictory messages about sex in this thoughtful, riveting, and timely reexploration of the letter of the gospels. In the tradition of Bart Erhman’s Jesus Interrupted and John Shelby Spong’s Sins of Scripture, Knust’s Unprotected Texts liberates us from the pervasive moralizing—the fickle dos and don’ts—so often dictated by religious demagogues. Knust’s powerful reading offers a return to the scripture, away from the mere slogans to which it is so often reduced. |
| religious literacy stephen prothero: Medieval Literacy Jim Grote, James Grote, 2012-04 Taking a medieval approach in content as well as in form - a compilation of lists - this voluem creates a foundation for the study of the medieval mindset by establishing the terms and concepts of that scholars would have had in common at the time: an invaluable lingua franca. |
| religious literacy stephen prothero: Bible Babel Kristin Swenson, 2010-02-02 “Kristin Swenson offers a confident, well-paced, well-informed, and accessible guide to Bible basics and biblical literacy.” — Walter Brueggemann, author of An Unsettling God: The Heart of the Hebrew Bible Bible Babel, from author and religious studies professor Kristin Swenson, is a lively, humorous, and very readable introduction to the Bible—what’s in it, where it comes from, and how it is used in our culture today. If you’ve ever wondered about the origin of the Christian fish symbol; the history of the Good Book; how the Bible weighs in on contemporary political issues; or even the biblical source of pop-culture references in WALL-E or Battlestar Galatica, then this is the book for you. Readers of A. J. Jacobs’s Year of Living Biblically and David Plotz’s Good Book will enjoy Bible Babel, a perfect primer for anyone interested in the Bible—secular and believing alike. |
| religious literacy stephen prothero: American Scripture Pauline Maier, 2012-02-15 Pauline Maier shows us the Declaration as both the defining statement of our national identity and the moral standard by which we live as a nation. It is truly American Scripture, and Maier tells us how it came to be -- from the Declaration's birth in the hard and tortuous struggle by which Americans arrived at Independence to the ways in which, in the nineteenth century, the document itself became sanctified. Maier describes the transformation of the Second Continental Congress into a national government, unlike anything that preceded or followed it, and with more authority than the colonists would ever have conceded to the British Parliament; the great difficulty in making the decision for Independence; the influence of Paine's []Common Sense[], which shifted the terms of debate; and the political maneuvers that allowed Congress to make the momentous decision. In Maier's hands, the Declaration of Independence is brought close to us. She lets us hear the voice of the people as revealed in the other declarations of 1776: the local resolutions -- most of which have gone unnoticed over the past two centuries -- that explained, advocated, and justified Independence and undergirded Congress's work. Detective-like, she discloses the origins of key ideas and phrases in the Declaration and unravels the complex story of its drafting and of the group-editing job which angered Thomas Jefferson. Maier also reveals what happened to the Declaration after the signing and celebration: how it was largely forgotten and then revived to buttress political arguments of the nineteenth century; and, most important, how Abraham Lincoln ensured its persistence as a living force in American society. Finally, she shows how by the very act of venerating the Declaration as we do -- by holding it as sacrosanct, akin to holy writ -- we may actually be betraying its purpose and its power. |
| religious literacy stephen prothero: Theological Roots of Pentecostalism Donald W. Dayton, 1987 Explains how Pentecostalism grew out of Methodism and the nineteenth-century American holiness movement. ...A much needed tool. He makes it possible for us to see Pentecostals, so often dismissed as a fringe group, as intimately connected with the so-called mainstream of American religion. --THEOLOGY TODAY |
| religious literacy stephen prothero: Critical Perspectives on Interreligious Education , 2020-03-31 The editors of Experiments in Empathy: Critical Reflections on Interreligious Education have assembled a volume that spans multiple religious traditions and offers innovative methods for teaching and designing interreligious learning. This groundbreaking text includes established interreligious educators and emerging scholars who expand the vision of this field to include critical studies, decolonial approaches and exciting pedagogical developments. The book includes voices that are often left out of other comparative theology or interreligious education texts. Scholars from evangelical, Muslim, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, religiously hybrid and other background enrich the existing models for interreligious classrooms. The book is particularly relevant at a time when religion is so often harnessed for division and hatred. By examining the roots of racism, xenophobia, sexism and their interaction with religion that contribute to inequity the volume offers real world educational interventions. The content is in high demand as are the authors who contributed to the volume. Contributors are: Scott Alexander, Judith A. Berling, Monica A. Coleman, Reuven Firestone, Christine Hong, Jennifer Howe Peace, Munir Jiwa, Nancy Fuchs Kreimer, Tony Ritchie, Rachel Mikva, John Thatanamil, Timur Yuskaev. |
| religious literacy stephen prothero: Religion Matters Stephen R. Prothero, 2020 Stephen Prothero's Religion Matters builds religious literacy through an expert's introduction to the greatest stories ever told. Religions are systems of stories, and there is no better way to engage with the world's religions than through the stories that animate their beliefs and practices. Through the exploration of these ancient histories, texts, and stories and their continuities today, Stephen Prothero, a New York Times bestselling author, gifted storyteller, and award-winning scholar and teacher, helps students grasp both the vibrancy of the great religions and their role in our fractured world. Covering Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Daoism, Confucianism, Navajo Religion, and Atheism, this book focuses on what makes each religion distinct without neglecting the connections between them-- |
| religious literacy stephen prothero: Asian Religions in America Thomas A. Tweed, Stephen R. Prothero, 1999 This book presents the American encounter with Asian religions through a wide range of documents -- written and visual from elite and popular culture -- dating from 1788 to the present. Coverage of Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam predominate, through selectoins from other religions are included -- Daoism, Confusianism, Shinto, Sikhism. The entries are divided into four chronological periods. The first section traces the initial attempts to map the earliest contracts, up to 1840; the second section, from 1840 to 1924, presents the first real passages -- from east to west and west to east; the third, from 1924 to 1965, sketches a drifting period when immigration has stopped and Euro-American interest in Asian religions was minimal; and the final section, which takes us to the present, covers a time when the encounter intensifies greatly. |
| religious literacy stephen prothero: The World's Religions Huston Smith, 2017-03-29 This book has seven basic chapters: Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. These he calls the Major Historical Religions. They all have sacred texts. This book was intended to be a brief survey without an in-depth analysis. A new section was added to The World's Religions. It is entitled The Primal Religions. It describes a broad sweep of religions such as those practiced by the Australian Aborigines, by the Native American Indians of North and South America and the religions of the interior of Africa. Huston Smith's masterpiece explores the essential elements and teachings of the world's predominant faiths, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and the native traditions of Australia, Africa, Oceania, and the Americas. Emphasizing the inner--rather than the institutional--dimension of these religions, Smith devotes special attention to Zen and Tibetan Buddhism, Sufism, and the teachings of Jesus. He convincingly conveys the unique appeal and gifts of each of the traditions and reveals their hold on the human heart and imagination. |
| religious literacy stephen prothero: Reality Check Donald R. Prothero, 2013-08-01 A thought-provoking look at science denialism “for popular science readers who want better to be able to explain and defend science and scientific methods to others” (Library Journal). The battles over evolution, climate change, childhood vaccinations, and the causes of AIDS, alternative medicine, oil shortages, population growth, and the place of science in our country—all are reaching a fevered pitch. Many people and institutions have exerted enormous efforts to misrepresent or flatly deny demonstrable scientific reality to protect their nonscientific ideology, their power, or their bottom line. To shed light on this darkness, Donald R. Prothero explains the scientific process and why society has come to rely on science not only to provide a better life but also to reach verifiable truths no other method can obtain. He describes how major scientific ideas that are accepted by the entire scientific community (evolution, anthropogenic global warming, vaccination, the HIV cause of AIDS, and others) have been attacked with totally unscientific arguments and methods. Prothero argues that science deniers pose a serious threat to society, as their attempts to subvert the truth have resulted in widespread scientific ignorance, increased risk of global catastrophes, and deaths due to the spread of diseases that could have been prevented. “Prothero’s treatise will give the science-minded something to cheer about, a brief summary of the real data that supports so many critical aspects of modern life.” —Publishers Weekly |
| religious literacy stephen prothero: Interfaith Leadership Eboo Patel, 2016-07-05 A guide for students, groups, and organizations seeking to foster interfaith dialogue and promote understanding across religious lines In this book, renowned interfaith leader Eboo Patel offers a clear, detailed, and practical guide to interfaith leadership, illustrated with compelling examples. Patel explains what interfaith leadership is and explores the core competencies and skills of interfaith leadership, before turning to the issues interfaith leaders face and how they can prepare to solve them. Interfaith leaders seek points of connection and commonality—in their neighborhoods, schools, college campuses, companies, organizations, hospitals, and other spaces where people of different faiths interact with one another. While it can be challenging to navigate the differences and disagreements that can arise from these interactions, skilled interfaith leaders are vital if we are to have a strong, religiously diverse democracy. This primer presents readers with the philosophical underpinnings of interfaith theory and outlines the skills necessary to practice interfaith leadership today. |
| religious literacy stephen prothero: Reviving the Black Church Thabiti Anyabwile, 2015-10-01 Is the Black Church dying? The picture is mixed and there are many challenges. The church needs spiritual revival. But reviving and strengthening the Black Church will require great wisdom and courage. Reviving the Black Church calls us back to another time, borrowing the wisdom of earlier faithful Christians. But more importantly, it calls us back to the Bible itself. For there we find the divine wisdom needed to see all quarters of the Black Church live again, thriving in the Spirit of God. It’s pastor and church planter Thabiti Anyabwile's humble prayer that this book might be useful to pastors and faithful lay members in reviving at least some quarters of the Black Church, and churches of every ethnicity and context— all for the glory of God. |
| religious literacy stephen prothero: Native American Religious Action Sam D. Gill, 1987 |
BY Gregory A. Smith
Dec 14, 2021 · particular” when asked about their religious identity. Self-identified Christians of all varieties (including Protestants, Catholics, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter …
U.S.Religious Landscape Survey - Pew Research Center's …
interpret the teachings of their religion. This openness to a range of religious viewpoints is in line with the great diversity of religious affiliation, belief and practice that exists in the United …
U.S.Religious Landscape Survey - Pew Research Center's …
of these important issues. The U.S. Religious Landscape Survey includes reliable estimates of the size of religious groups in the United States as well as detailed information on their …
Religious affiliation of members of 117th Congress
Jan 1, 2021 · Religious affiliation of members of 117th Congress State District Name Party Continuing/freshman Denominational family AK At-large Don Young R Continuing …
NUMBERS, FACTS AND TRENDS SHAPING THE WORLD FOR …
earlier, while Hispanics have grown as a share of all three religious groups. Racial and ethnic minorities now make up 41% of Catholics (up from 35% in 2007), 24% of evangelical …
The World’s Muslims: Religion, Politics and Society
role of women. It also looks at Muslims’ views on religious extremism and religious conflict in their country. Finally, the report takes advantage of prior Pew Research surveys of Muslims in the …
Index of religiosity, by state - Pew Research Center's Religion ...
Source: 2014 Religious Landscape Study, conducted June 4-Sept. 30, 2014. Figures may not add to 100% due to rounding. The index is created by combining four individual measures of …
FOR RELEASE JULY 23, 2019 - Pew Research Center's Religion …
The religious composition of Thailand, Indonesia and Ethiopia 37 The size of U.S. religious minorities 38 Knowledge about atheism and agnosticism 39 Knowledge about religion in the …
FOR RELEASE OCT. 17, 2019 - pewforum.org
2007 and 2014 Religious Landscape Studies, click here. 2 Most of Pew Research Center’s recent surveys in the United States have been conducted on the American Trends Panel, a nationally …
NUMBERS, FACTS AND TRENDS SHAPING THE WORLD
Nov 12, 2016 · religious identity, including physical coercion or being singled out with the intent of making life or religious practice more difficult. Policies that specifically have an adverse effect …
BY Gregory A. Smith
Dec 14, 2021 · particular” when asked about their religious identity. Self-identified Christians of all varieties (including Protestants, Catholics, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day …
U.S.Religious Landscape Survey - Pew Research Center's …
interpret the teachings of their religion. This openness to a range of religious viewpoints is in line with the great diversity of religious affiliation, belief and practice that exists in the United States, …
U.S.Religious Landscape Survey - Pew Research Center's …
of these important issues. The U.S. Religious Landscape Survey includes reliable estimates of the size of religious groups in the United States as well as detailed information on their …
Religious affiliation of members of 117th Congress
Jan 1, 2021 · Religious affiliation of members of 117th Congress State District Name Party Continuing/freshman Denominational family AK At-large Don Young R Continuing Episcopalian …
NUMBERS, FACTS AND TRENDS SHAPING THE WORLD FOR …
earlier, while Hispanics have grown as a share of all three religious groups. Racial and ethnic minorities now make up 41% of Catholics (up from 35% in 2007), 24% of evangelical …
The World’s Muslims: Religion, Politics and Society
role of women. It also looks at Muslims’ views on religious extremism and religious conflict in their country. Finally, the report takes advantage of prior Pew Research surveys of Muslims in the …
Index of religiosity, by state - Pew Research Center's Religion ...
Source: 2014 Religious Landscape Study, conducted June 4-Sept. 30, 2014. Figures may not add to 100% due to rounding. The index is created by combining four individual measures of …
FOR RELEASE JULY 23, 2019 - Pew Research Center's Religion …
The religious composition of Thailand, Indonesia and Ethiopia 37 The size of U.S. religious minorities 38 Knowledge about atheism and agnosticism 39 Knowledge about religion in the …
FOR RELEASE OCT. 17, 2019 - pewforum.org
2007 and 2014 Religious Landscape Studies, click here. 2 Most of Pew Research Center’s recent surveys in the United States have been conducted on the American Trends Panel, a nationally …
NUMBERS, FACTS AND TRENDS SHAPING THE WORLD
Nov 12, 2016 · religious identity, including physical coercion or being singled out with the intent of making life or religious practice more difficult. Policies that specifically have an adverse effect …
