Religion and Globalization: World Religions in Historical Perspective / Edition 1

by John L. Esposito, Darrell J. Fasching, Todd Lewis

Overview

The twenty-first century is witnessing a resurgence and globalization of religion. Around the world, religion has become an increasingly more vital and pervasive force in both personal and public life. Revealing the significance of religion in the contemporary world, Religion and Globalization: World Religions in Historical Perspective explores seven major religious traditions as dynamic, ongoing forces in the lives of individuals and in the collective experience of modern societies.
Written by three highly respected scholars—the authors of World Religions Today, Second Edition—this text covers Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, East Asian Religions, and new religious movements. Taking a fresh approach, it uses historical coverage of the religious traditions as a framework to help students understand how faiths have evolved to the present day and continue to have an impact on belief, politics, and society. The book connects today's religions to their classical beliefs and practices but also shows how they have been transformed by globalization and by their contact with one another. The authors examine how the global changes that began with the Scientific Revolution influence the ways that religions are practiced today. They reflect not only on how ancient traditions have been modified in order to accommodate current realities but also on how the global synergy of these traditions is changing current social and political realities. To help students grasp what might be "new" about the emerging era of religious life in the twenty-first century, each discussion opens with a contemporary scenario of religious experience that illustrates the tension between pre-modern views and modernity.
Ideal for courses on religion and globalization, religion and politics, and comparative religion, Religion and Globalization features sixteen custom maps, key terms at the end of each chapter, a glossary, and timelines of major events in each tradition.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780195176957
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	12/31/2007
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	624
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.10(d)

Table of Contents

Each chapter begins with an Overview and concludes with Discussion Questions, Key Terms, Suggested Readings, and Notes. Chapters 2-7 end with a Conclusion., Preface1. IntroductionReligion and GlobalizationUnderstanding Religious Experience and Its ExpressionsThe Great Religious Stories of the WorldModernization in Global PerspectiveModern Colonialism, the Socialist Challenge, and the End of ModernityPostmodern Trends in a Postcolonial World2. Christianity and the Road to ModernityEncounter with Modernity: The Fundamentalist-Modernist ControversyPremodern Christianity: The Formative EraPremodern Christianity: The Classical EraChristianity and ModernityChristianity and Postmodern Trends in a Postcolonial World3. The Many Faces of Judaism: Sacred and SecularEncounter with Modernity: Modern Judaisms and the Challenge of Ultra-OrthodoxyPremodern Judaism: The Formative Era—Biblical OriginsPremodern Judaism: The Formative Era—From Torah to TalmudPremodern Judaism: The Classical EraJudaism and ModernityJudaism and Postmodern Trends in a Postcolonial World4. The Globalization of Islam and MuslimsEncounter with Modernity: The Challenge of Western ColonialismPremodern Islam: The Formative EraPremodern Islam: The Classical EraIslam and ModernityIslam and Postmodern Trends in a Postcolonial WorldIslam: Postmodern Challenges5. Hinduism: Myriad Paths to SalvationEncounter with Modernity: Hindu Challenges to India as a Secular StatePremodern Hinduism: The Formative EraPremodern Hinduism: The Classical EraPremodern Hinduism: The Postclassical EraHinduism and ModernityHinduism and Postmodern Trends in a Postcolonial World6. Buddhism: Ways to NirvanaEncounter with Modernity: Socially Engaged BuddhismPremodern Buddhism: The Formative EraPremodern Buddhism: The Classical EraPremodern Buddhism: Buddhist ExpansionBuddhism and ModernityBuddhism and Postmodern Trends in a Postcolonial World7. East Asian Religions: Traditions of Human Cultivation and Natural HarmonyEncounter with Modernity: Postcolonial Confucian EconomicsEast Asian Religions in the Premodern EraEast Asian Religions and ModernityEast Asian Religions and Postmodern Trends in a Postcolonial World8. Globalization: From New to New Age ReligionsNew ReligionsNew Age ReligionsReligious Postmodernism and Global Ethics, Glossary, Time Lines, Index