Contents
II!ID.~lI'@@Dn@~fi@l]) Overview
A Definition of Religion 2
The Universality of Religion 4
Theories of the Origin of Religion
The Animistic Theories
5
1
4
The Nature-Worship Theory
6
The Theory of Original Monotheism 7
The Magic
Theory 7
The Wish-Fulfillment Theory 8
Types of Religions 9
Basic or Primitive Religions 9
Religions Originating in
India 9
Religions Originating in China and Japan 10
Religions Originating in the Middle East 10
Study Questions
10
------Basic Religions · 1 1 - - - - - -
11
Characteristics of Basic Religions
Sources of Information Concerning Basic Religions
Prehistoric Beginnings of Basic Religion 17
Neandertal Religion 17
Neolithic Religion 19
Cro-Magnon Religion
13
15
17
Common Features of Basic Religions 20
Animism 21
Magic 22
Divination 23
Taboo 23
Totems 24
Sacrifice 26
Rites of Passage 27
Ancestor Veneration 28
Study Questions 28
Suggested Reading 29
xi
xii
CONTENTS---------------------
~
American Indian Religions
The Spirit World 33
Animism 34
Controls Over the Spirit World
Sacrifice
Rituals
Taboos
36
35
Ceremonies and
36
Visions
38
31
Religious Leadership
39
Other Means of Contact With the Spirit World
Death and Life After Death 45
American Indian Religions Today
Study Questions 47
Suggested Reading 48
Source Material 49
American Indian Myths
47
Sioux Legend of the Buffalo
49
Zuni Genesis: The Creation and Emergence
Maiden 49
of Man 51
~
40
42
African Religions
55
Non-Native African Religions
Christianity
Native Religions
The High God
Ancestors
Islam
57
57
Other Religions
58
59
60
60
The Lesser Spirits
Sacrifice
64
Religious Leaders
62
Rites of Passage
65
67
71
African Religions Today
Study Questions 74
Suggested Reading 74
Source Material 75
An African Divine King
73
75
An African Creation Story
77
---Religions Originating in India · 791---
41
Hinduism
81
The Origins of Hinduism
Pre-Aryan India
83
83
The Coming of the Aryans
84
Aryan Religion 85
The Vedic Era 87
The Vedas
of Manu
87
94
The Upanishads
The Code
92
Jainism and Buddhism
98
---------------------CONTENTS
Bhagavad-Gita
xiii
99
Postclassical Hinduism
102
Devotion to Three Major Gods
Knowledge
108
104
Devotion to
Muslim Influences in India
113
Modern Hinduism 114
Hinduism Today 118
Study Questions 118
Suggested Reading 119
Source Material
120
Selection from the Rig-Veda 120
Varuna and Indra 120
"What God Shall We Adore With Our Oblation?" 121
XI, 15-21, 24, 31-34 123
The Upanishads 125
Shankara on the Nature of the
The Laws of Manu 126
Brahman
@
127
Jainism
131
The Life of Mahavira 132
The Teachings of Jainism 134
Jain Sects 138
Jainism Today 139
Study Questions 139
Suggested Reading 140
Source Material
141
A Jain Parable and "The Example of Mahavira"
A Jain Parable: The Man in the Well 141
Akaranga-sutra, I, 1 142
Life 142
®
141
Jain Respect for
Buddhism
145
The life of Gautama 146
The Teachings of the Buddha 151
The Development of Buddhism 152
Theravada Buddhism 154
Mahayana Buddhism 156
The Principles of Mahayana
Mahayana Buddhism 158
Tibetan Buddhism 165
Buddhism Today
169
The Spread of
Mahayanist Sects 160
156
xiv
CONTENTS,--------------------
Study Questions 170
Suggested Reading 171
Source Material 172
Gautama Speaks of His Ascetic Practices 172
Majjhima-nikaya XII 172
The Buddha Explains the Eightfold Path 174
The Infinite Compassion of the
The Importance of Sitting 177
Bodhisattva 176
rw
Sikhism
179
The Life of Nanak 180
The Teachings of Nanak 182
The Historical Development of Sikhism
Divisions Within Sikhism 185
Sikh Religious Life 185
Sikhism Today 187
183
Study Questions 187
Suggested Reading 187
Source Material 188
The Japji 188
A Book of Psalms of Guru
Nanak Nirankari 188
----Religions Originating in China'--and Japan· 193
ES
Chinese Religions
195
Basic Chinese Religious Concepts 197
The Recognition of Multiple Gods and Spirits 197
The Yin and the Yang 198
Filial Piety and
Ancestor Worship 199
Divination 199
Development
of Belief in the Shang Ti 200
The Decline of the
Feudal System 201
Taoism 201
The Life of Lao-tzu 202
The Tao Te Ching 202
The Teachings of the Early Taoist Philosophers 203
Schools That Rivaled the Early Taoists 208
The Later Development of Taoism 209
Confucianism 212
The Life of Confucius
Confucius
215
213
The Teachings of
The Development of Confucianism
218
--------------------------------------------CONTENTS
Taoism and Confucianism Today
Study Questions 223
Suggested Reading 224
XV
222
Source Material 225
Selections from Sacred Chinese Literature 225
Tao Te
Ching 225
The Analects 228
Book 11/ 228
Book IV 230
The Meaning and Value of Rituals 232
®
Shinto
235
Japanese Mythology 237
The History of Shinto 238
Shinto Prior to 300 A. D. 238
Chinese Influence
Upon Shinto 238
The Revival of Shinto 241
The Modern Era 245
Three Forms of Shinto 246
Sectarian Shinto 247
State Shinto 246
Domestic Shinto 249
Shinto Today 250
Study Questions 251
Suggested Reading 251
Source Material 252
Shinto Myths 252
Myths Regarding the Plain of
High Heaven 252
The Conflict Between Amaterasu and
the Storm God Susa-No-O 253
The Enshrinement of
Amaterasu at Ise 225
----Religions Originating in t h e - - - Middle East · 257
Zoroastrianism
Pre-Zoroastrian Persian Religion 260
The Life of Zoroaster 262
The Teachings of Zoroaster 263
The Nature of God 263
The God of Evil 265
The Destiny of
The Nature of Humankind 266
Humankind 267
Zoroastrian Ethics 270
Zoroastrian Worship 271
The Historical Development of Zoroastrianism 274
Zoroastrianism Today 277
259
xvi
CONTENTSi---------------------------------------------
Study Questions 277
Suggested Reading 278
Source Material 279
Zoroastrian Eschatology
Netherworld
1111
279
Roads to the
279
Zoroastrian Dualism
281
Judaism
285
The Biblical Patriarchs 286
The Exodus 288
The Religion of the Hebrew Monarchy
The Temple
292
The Exile and the Return 294
Religious Institutions of the Diaspora
The Synagogue
The Talmud
The Cabala
Judaism and the Modern World
308
The Nazi Holocaust
Current Varieties in Judaism
299
303
305
Zionism
309
292
296
The Mishnah
296
300
Reform Judaism
291
The Prophetic Movement
308
The State of Israel
312
313
Jewish Holidays
314
Sabbath (Shabbat) 314
Passover (Pesach) 315
The Feast of Weeks (Shavuot) 315
New Year
(Rosh Hashanah) 315
The Day of Atonement (Yom
Kippur) 316
The Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) 316
The Feast of Dedication (Chanukkah) 316
The Feast of
Lots (Purim) 316
The Son of the Commandment (Bar
Mitzvah) 317
Judaism Today 317
Study Questions 318
Suggested Reading 319
Source Material 320
Selections from Hebrew Scriptures and the Mishnah 320
Deuteronomy
320
The Psalms
323
The Mishnah: Pesahim (The Feast of Passover)
11 ~
Christianity
The World of the First Century A.D. 328
The Life and Teachings of Jesus 330
Early Christianity 339
Micah
324
325
327
------------------------------------------~CONTENTS
xvii
The Jerusalem Church 339
The Life of Paul 340
The Worship of the Early Church 341
Leadership
in the Early Church
The Production of the
343
New Testament 345
of the Church of Rome
Early Heresies 346
Growth
348
The Emergence of
Christianity As the Religion of the Roman Empire
Augustine
350
The Monastic Movement
Medieval Christianity
349
352
353
The Division Between Eastern and Western Christianity
The Medieval Papacy
Early Reform Movements
Ulrich Zwingli
Thomas Aquinas
354
The Protestant Reformation
360
353
356
357
357
Martin Luther
John Calvin
360
358
Other
Reformation Leaders and Movements
361
363
The Catholic Counter-Reformation 363
Catholic Dogmas
Vatican /I 367
Since the Counter-Reformation 366
Modern Movements 367
Christianity Today 370
Study Questions 371
Suggested Reading 372
Source Material 373
Selections from the New Testament 373
Sermon on the
Mount 373
Romans 377
1 Corinthians 379
Revelation 381
The Martyrdom of st. Polycarp 382
Modern Christianity
n~
Islam
387
Pre-Islamic Arab Religion 388
The Life of Muhammad 390
The Quran 396
The Nature of God
Eschatology
397
Predestination
398
399
Religious Institutions
401
The Five Pillars 402
Islam and Women 405
Calendar 405
The Holy War (Jihad) 406
Taboos 406
The Spread of Islam 407
The Caliphate 408
Variations Within Islam 410
The Mosque
401
Muslim
xviii
CONTENTS,-------------------
The Sunnis
410
The Mystical Element
The Shi'ites
411
412
Islam in the Modern World
Islam Today 416
414
Study Questions 417
Suggested Reading 418
Source Material
419
The Muslim Vision of Allah
the Prescriptions of Islam
1l~
419
Muhammad Proclaims
422
Baha'i
Origin and Development of Baha'i
The Teachings of Baha'i 430
Baha'i Practices 433
Study Questions 436
Suggested Reading 436
Source Material 438
427
428
Selections from the Writings of Bahaullah
438
Glossary
441
Index
455