"Religion is not a museum piece. As the twenty-first century begins, religion is a vibrant force in the lives of many people around the world, and many religions are presently experiencing a renaissance."
-- Mary Pat Fisher, Preface to Living Religions

Living Religions, in its revised and updated fifth edition, presents a highly readable and stimulating survey of the modern religious world. Exploring the historical development and teachings of traditional faiths, indigenous religions, and new religious movements, this book considers how each of these traditions has evolved into contemporary beliefs and practices. This edition also explores in more detail the changing nature of each religion, the spread of religious .pluralism and the movement toward interfaith dialogue.

With the help of a team of specialist consultants in each faith, and drawing on a wealth of scholarly research and firsthand source material, Mary Pat Fisher has revised Living Religions to give a fresh and challenging insight into how believers of today's faiths perceive their religion and its role in the changing world in which they live.

NEW TO THIS EDITION

• New and revised color feature boxes on religious figures in public life, religion in practice, and interviews with practitioners of living religions.
• Six color timelines and eleven color maps providing the historical and geographical context for each religion.
• Enhanced coverage of the socio-political context of the contemporary practice of religion.
• Increased coverage of the contributions and concerns of women in each tradition.
• Extended coverage of both African and African-American religious experience.
• Additional suggestions for extra reading to accompany each chapter.
• Revised and extended Glossary.
• Over 120 new color and black and white illustrations.

• NEW - September 11, 2001 and its effects—New material on Muslim response to the events of September 11, 2001.

  • Gives students a look at the religious implications of this world-changing event.

• NEW - Substantially revised and updated—Includes sections on violence in “New Religious Movements”.

  • Reflects to students contemporary scholarship and the changing world scene.

• NEW - New material on Muslim feminist scholarship—Includes more information on women in religions.

  • Enables instructors to easily cover women's roles in and impact on various religions.

• NEW - New material on the African-American religious experience—Primarily in Christianity and Islam; also includes new material on African traditional religions.

  • Gives students an accurate look at the changing face of African-American religious practices.

• NEW - New “Religion in Public Life” boxes—On Joseph Lieberman and Jimmy Carter.

  • Gives students perspective on the religious lives of famous people.

• NEW - Illustrations—Primarily in color, with a new map of the missionary journeys of the Apostle Paul.

  • Provides students with enhanced understanding of the material presented.

• NEW - Science and religion.

  • Shows students the lively encounter between these two oft-opposing approaches.

• NEW - Added first-person interview—With young Jain, “semi-nun”.

  • Allows students to see “religion come alive” by reading followers' own words.

• NEW - Expanded glossary—Clear definition of terms used throughout the text.

  • Gives students an easy reference guide.

• One chapter on each religion—Each chapter gives its religion's historical background and teachings, and then explores how these traditions have evolved into contemporary beliefs and practices.

  • Helps students focus on the important facts of each religion.

• Insider's view of each religion—Extensive use of quotations, Teaching Stories, first-person interviews, and specialist consultants who are academic experts and practitioners of each religion.

  • Provides students with “real-world” religious perspectives.

• Timelines—Updated and redesigned for clarity.

  • Allows students to compare the development of different religions.

• Annotated book lists.

  • Enables students to delve further into the study of religion.

• Illustrations and maps—One of this text's most engaging features; includes narrative captions that offer additional insights.

  • Helps students grasp the often complex concepts of the characteristics of each religion.

• Instructor's Manual—Includes test bank.

  • Aids instructors in formulating their course curriculum.