The Story of Religion

Rating:
Summary: Recommended for parents who wish to raise open-minded adults
Review: I cannot say enough about how wonderful this book is. I am not a Christian, and I am not a religious person. Still, I want my children to know about and understand the powerful religious forces in the world.

The information is simple and straightforward, but there is enough there to clearly explain the foundations of the world's (and history's) dominant religions. The recommended ages are 4 - 8, but I think 4 might be too young and 11 might be a better top age.

The book focuses on acceptance of the differences in religious beliefs. I do not see the Judeo-Christian bias described by a previous reviewer.

Rating:
Summary: A Very Nice Book on Religion.
Review: I think this book is very moving and provides students with a greater understanding of religion. I did not find this book biased and thought that it would help some of my students, who came from communist countries, understand what religion is. Doesn't mean that I want to convert them, but it will be easier to participate in discussions of religion and create dialogue with their parents, who entered them into a religious school.

Rating:
Summary: Breathtaking overview of religion
Review: Ironically, the 'fundies' ...are unlikely to approve of it! ...extremely committed 'fundamentalist' Christians (or other religion, as in ultra-orthodox Jews, or hardline Muslims or whatever). This book is not made for people whose worldview is already cast in stone- there is no way that they would be able to endorse a book that sums itself up by saying "The fact that in this world there are so many people following so many different paths to God shows that there is no one right way."

This book is a rarity in these times: a book that looks at the big picture, written in a clear, accessible but literate manner. It does not talk down to the reader- precocious 9's will enjoy it, but so will adults. It is a journey through the evolution of religion, from early concepts of powers beyond our own into increasingly structured and codified faiths. The summaries of the developments of the major world faiths of today are outstanding- they give a clear context and understanding in a very clear, succinct paragraphs. Illustrations in a variety of styles support and augment the text beautifully.

There are other books for teaching the specifics of different faiths, for every age range. This book paints a picture of how the religions of today developed, and makes a strong case for tolerance of understanding and respecting other paths to God/ Enlightenment/ Truth etc. Even the back cover quotes pitch in- I initially ignored them, assuming that they were the usual "this is a great book" blurbs, but instead they area fine selection of quotes from people as diverse as Frederick the Great and Thomas Paine.

If you are interested in a broader understanding of religion as a part of human society - for yourself or for your children- this is a great place to start. And you may just find some things that lift your faith in the world at the same time. This is a don't miss book for anybody who can accept the idea that there is more than one right answer.

Rating:
Summary: Pro-Christian Bias / Better Than Nothing?
Review: This book is mostly a "pro-religion / all religions are OK in their own way / let's all get along" kind of book. However, despite its pro-religion emphasis, tidbits of truth and relevant information regarding religion are available but be forewarned that there's a heavy dose of pro-christian / pro-religion cheering in the book.

It seems to be making an effort to recognize (as in acknowledge the existence of) all religions but it also seems to be preaching that Christianity is the best, Jewish/Islam religions are close, and all other religions have a ways to go to measure up to the Judeo-Christian-Islamic GOD. In other words, typical western style GOD propaganda rears its ugly head here.

This might be an ideal book for fundies or devoutly religious folks (especially Christians) to read in order to expose them to other religions in a manner which gives them warm fuzzies about religion being an OK idea - for me, personally, this is not the approach to take with kids, but hey, maybe better this (tidbits of facts mixed with standard pro-religion propaganda) than nothing when it comes to the brainwashed single-religion focus that most parents inflict on their kids.

If you are seeking basic religious information for your children (with scant details on actual facts and no information regarding the truth or lack thereof regarding religious beliefs) along with apologetics for ALL religions and (included at no extra charge) three sentences on disbelief making disbelief appear to be a flawed way of thinking, this is the book for you.

Rating:
Summary: NEITHER ACCURATE NOR OBJECTIVE
Review: This is a biased, shallow summary of the world's major religions. The religious doctrines are not defined accurately. For instance, Judaism does NOT teach that Abraham decided there was only one God; it teaches that God revealed his existence to Abraham. Neither does Christianity teach that Jesus died to save everyone; it teaches that Jesus died to save those who will believe in him.

This book makes the statement that since there are many religions, there must be many paths to truth. This itself is a religious statement (reference Unity Church and Unitarian/Universalist teachings), and the authors do not support it by any evidence but present it as fact. In spite of the authors' respect for various religions, they highlight a blatant statement that people who actually believe their own religion is true have caused all of the world's problems. While misguided people have indeed done terrible things in the name of religion (for example, the Crusades and the current wave of terrorism), this is not the purpose of any religion and is not accepted by the majority of religious people.

This book does not give a clear picture of the religions it attempts to detail; in addition, it includes opinions which it misrepresents as facts. If you want a book on world religions for your children, keep looking--this is not the one.

Rating:
Summary: A Very Nice Book on Religion.
Review: Unfortunately, a previous review of this book deterred me from buying it for quite some time. But I happened to find it in a local used bookstore and LOVED it! I am an atheist and I tend to be overly sensitive to religious propaganda. I get very aggrivated when I feel people are forcing their beliefs on me. This book absolutely did NOT do that!

This was a very good introduction to world religions. In my opinion it gave very equal treatment to the different religions and was not biased in any way. And after introducing each of the more popular religions, the writers spent an additional five pages discussing lesser practiced religions, atheism, diveristy, and the "Golden Rule". The very last pages of the book even contain a glossary which includes information about religions that weren't included in the book.

This was exactly what I was looking for to introduce the various world religions to my 6-year-old son! Don't let the previous reviewer scare you away! I highly recommend this book!