UNDERSTANDING WORLD RELIGIONS IN 15 MINUTES A DAY
by
GARRY R. MORGAN
| Price: | $12.99 |
| ISBN: | 978-0-7642-1003-7 |
| ISBN-10: | 0-7642-1003-3 |
| Publication Date: | Aug. 2012 |
| Formats: | Paperback |
About the Book . . .
What religions are represented in your neighborhood, your workplace, and
your children's school? Things seem to be changing every day, and it
can be hard to keep up. You may know a little about some of these
religions. Others are new to you. You'd like to learn about them and how
they differ from your beliefs, but who has time to do all the research?
In Understanding World Religions in 15 Minutes a Day, cross-cultural expert and professor Garry Morgan explains the key beliefs, histories, and practices of more than twenty religions, including the familiar--Christianity, Judaism, Mormonism--and some of the lesser known--Baha'i, Sikhism, and New Age religions. Broken into forty short readings, each chapter is engaging and easy to understand. In just minutes a day you'll soon have a better understanding of the world's beliefs.
In Understanding World Religions in 15 Minutes a Day, cross-cultural expert and professor Garry Morgan explains the key beliefs, histories, and practices of more than twenty religions, including the familiar--Christianity, Judaism, Mormonism--and some of the lesser known--Baha'i, Sikhism, and New Age religions. Broken into forty short readings, each chapter is engaging and easy to understand. In just minutes a day you'll soon have a better understanding of the world's beliefs.
About the Author . . .
Garry R. Morgan is Professor of Intercultural Studies
at Northwestern College. He served with World Venture from 1974–1976 and
1982–1999 in Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, and Tanzania. Garry is married,
has a grown daughter, and lives in the Minneapolis/ St. Paul area.
Reader Review . . .
In today's world, religions that might once have been considered regional are now crossing geographical, ethnic, and political borders. In the workplace, schools, and in the community at large, we encounter people of many different religions each day. Garry R. Morgan has written a book giving an overview of some of the more predominant religions in the world today.
According to Mr. Morgan, a religion is defined by three components: (1) has an organized system of beliefs; (2) mandates or at least commends certain behaviors and actions that are related to the belief system; (3) answers questions about the unknown. With this definition in mind, he has identified several religions and explains each one in a separate chapter. He begins with Christianity, defining it in one chapter, and then breaking it down into types he explains Roman Catholic Christianity, Eastern Orthodox Christianity, Protestant Christianity, and Evangelical Christianity. He then moves on to Anismism and folk religions, Native American religions, and African religions. After that, he explains Judaism in two chapters, the first being the historical development of Judaism, and the second discusses Judaism today. He takes six chapters to explain Islam, which at first seemed like overkill until I read all six chapters and realized just how complex a religion it really is. With the impact this religion has on the world today, these chapters only make the book a must-read. He also goes on to explain New Age, Mormonism, Jehovah's Witnesses, and others. The book is clear and concise, with each chapter giving just enough background and detail for the average reader. This would be excellent for anyone wanting to understand the beliefs of others, or it could even be used as a study guide for a classroom setting. All in all, a very interesting book and I enjoyed reading it.
5 stars
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
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