This is a reference for understanding world religious societies in their contemporary global diversity. Comprising 60 essays, the volume focuses on communities rather than beliefs, symbols, or rites. The contributors are leading scholars of world religions, many of whom are also members of the communities they study. This is a reference for understanding world religious societies in their contemporary global diversity. Comprising 60 essays, the volume focuses oncommunities rather than beliefs, symbols, or rites. It is organized into six sections corresponding to the major living religious traditions: the Indic cultural region, the Buddhist/Confucian, the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim regions, and the African cultural region. In each section an introductory essay discusses the social developmentof that religious tradition historically. The other essays cover the basic social facts: the community's size, location, organizational and pilgrimage centers, authority figures, patterns of governance, major subgroups and schisms aswell as issues regarding boundary maintenance, politicalinvolvement, role in providing cultural identity, and encounters with modernity. Communities in the diaspora and at the periphery are covered, as well as the central geographic regions of the religious traditions. Thus, for example, Islamic communities in Asia and the United States are included along with Islamic societies in the Middle East. The contributors are leading scholars of world religions, many of whom are also members of the communities they study. Theessays are written to beinformative and accessible to the educated public, and to be respectful of the viewpoints of the communities analyzed. Contributors1. Thinking Globally about ReligionPart I: Indic Cultural Region2. Thinking Globally about Hinduism3. Traditional Brahmanical Society4. Popular Hindu Movements5. The Sikh Community6. The Jain Community7. Hindu Communities AbroadPart II: Buddhist/Confucian Cultural Region8. Thinking Globally about Buddhism9. Theravada Buddhist Societies10. Tibetan Buddhist Society11. Vietnamese Religious Society12. Traditional Chinese Religious Society13. Popular Religion in Mainland China14. Traditional Japanese Religious Society15. Japanese New Religious Movements16. Korean Religious Society17. Buddhist Communities AbroadPart III: Jewish Cultural Region18. Thinking Globally about Judaism19. Jewish Communities in Israel20. Jewish Communities in North Africa and the Middle East21. Jewish Communities in Europe22. Jewish Communities in the Americas23. Jewish Communities in AsiaPart IV: Christian Cultural Region24. Thinking Globally about Christianity25. Western European Catholic Societies26. Eastern European Catholic Societies27. European Protestant Societies28. Orthodox Christian Societies29. Religious Communities in Russia30. The Coptic Community31. Latin American Catholic Societies32. North American Religious Communities33. Evangelical Christian Community in North and South AmericaPart V: Islamic Cultural Region39. Thinking Globally about Islam40. Arab Islamic Societies41. North African Islamic Societies42. Sub-Saharan African Islam43. European Islam44. Shi'a Islamic Societies45. Islamic Communities in Central Asia46. Islamic Communities in South Asia47. Islamic Societies in Southeast Asia48. Chinese Islamic Communities49. American Islamic Communities50. Religious Movements with Islamic OriginsPart VI: African Cultural Region51. Thinking Globally about African Religion52. Traditional African Religious Societies53. Afro-Caribbean Religious SocietiesPart VII: Local Religious Societies54. Thinking Globally about Local Religious Societies55. Native American Religious Societies56. Australian Aboriginal Societies57. Pacific Islands Religious CommunitiesPart VIII: Understanding Global Religion58. Religion in Global Perspective59. Anti-Global Religion?60. The Global Future of ReligionIndex
- ISBN: 978-0-19-976764-9
- Editorial: Oxford University
- Encuadernacion: Rústica
- Páginas: 688
- Fecha Publicación: 25/08/2011
- Nº Volúmenes: 1
- Idioma: Inglés