From School Library Journal
Grade 9 Up—Ellwood's wide-ranging, accessible, alphabetically arranged volume includes historical, comparative, and theoretical entries, many covering societal aspects of religion. The further-reading list has been updated, and there are new entries on fundamentalisms, al-Qaeda, Hamas, religion and politics, and more. The inadequate number of illustrations is a weakness, as are the lack of entries on Wahhabism or Falun Gong (though the latter is mentioned briefly in "religions of China"); an outdated statistic on Zoroastrians; and the absurd claim that Roman Catholic statues are "worshipped with adoration." Jones's multivolume set also has many strong points, including pronunciation help, clear expression, informative sidebars, research and activities ideas, and discussion questions. However, its arrangement is confusing, and there is some repetition. Coverage includes 18 major and minor religions and philosophies. Religious influence is presented as entirely positive. Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, and other notables are not among those profiled. The index lacks entries for Mithras, Falun Gong, the Unification Church, and more. The black-and-white photos are undated, and some primary sources are poorly translated. Among the relatively few errors are conflicting dates for Genesis. Neither of these sets illuminates the current religious climate in any given country. Though Ellwood's work is exceptional in parts, John Bowker's The Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (1997; o.p.) and the Macmillan Dictionary of Religion (1994) have many more entries, and Bowker's World Religions (DK, 2006) and Elizabeth Breuilly's Religions of the World (Facts On File, 1997) are more visually appealing.—Patricia D. Lothrop, St. George's School, Newport, RI
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