Experiencing the World's Religions: Tradition, Challenge, and Change with Free World Religions PowerWeb [Paperback]

Michael Molloy (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0072842741 | ISBN-13: 978-0072842746 | Publication Date: May 30, 2002 | Edition: 2

Experiencing the World's Religions is a leading seller because it successfully addresses what a person should know about religions, and why. Michael Molloy provides an exceptionally clear and compelling account of the teaching of the world's religions. The text covers all the essential material and goes beyond traditional approaches to personally connect students with the vitality of the great religions.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Appreciation for religion was programmed into me when I was young--before I had any chance to resist its fascination. My grandmothers were my first teachers. When my mother's mother was 19 she went to Paris to study painting and to experience cultural life there. She stayed in Paris for two years, and it was a turning point in her life. She returned home to create paintings, which surrounded me as I grew up in Los Angeles. She also returned with hundreds of photographs of religious statues, paintings, and other objects, as well as a thirst to take her grandchildren to museums and churches. My other grandmother was a choir director, and I remember many hours spent in the choir loft, which vibrated from the pedal notes of the organ music. It was through art and music that I discovered the richness of religion. Early experiences like these led me to leave the country after college in order to see the world, and my travels made me recognize how much people and their cultures are shaped by religions. When I returned, I studied religion formally. My MA degree (at St. John's University) allowed me to study the images of darkness in Jewish and Christian mystical literature. I received a scholarship from the East-West Center in Hawai`i, and in Hawai`i my life began to be influenced by the thought of Asia. For my Ph.D. (at the University of Hawai`i) I wrote on the Hindu and Buddhist mysticism to be found in the writings of Aldous Huxley. I had the pleasure of meeting Huxley's wife Laura in Los Angeles, interviewing people who knew him, and reading his original manuscripts at UCLA. I did graduate work at Banaras Hindu University, and later studied traditional Japanese arts--including kendo, tea ceremony, ceramics, and calligraphy--in Kyoto. I have practiced meditation at Christian and Buddhist monasteries in Asia, Europe, and the United States. I am currently writing a book for McGraw-Hill on Christianity. I live in Honolulu. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 576 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages; 2 edition (May 30, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0072842741
• ISBN-13: 978-0072842746
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #723,055 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Experience, in addition to understanding, August 6, 2000

By 

Chuck Neely (Chandler, AZ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Experiencing the World's Religions: Tradition, Challenge, and Change (Paperback)

As a college teacher of world religions, I recommend this book. It covers the usual teachings associated with the major religions of the world (I have very few minor qualms about its accuracy). Three unusual features distinguish this book from the run-of-the-mill books that explain the religions.

The first is the copious use of colored photos which defintely add interest to the text. Second, the personal anecdotes of Molloy who visited many of the areas of the world. His reflections stimulate the readers' thoughts along the same vein.

Thirdly, perhaps more controversally, Molloy, in his last chapter, looks forward in time and tries to pinpoint those aspects of religion that may survive the acids of modern secular societies. If perchance the reader has somehow been snoosing through the book, this chapter should jolt him/her wide awake!

Molloy's emphasis is clearly on helping the reader to really try to experience these religions, not just to understand them.

17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Keeps Interest Alive, January 14, 2002

By 

JAMIE (VA, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Experiencing the World's Religions: Tradition, Challenge, and Change (Paperback)

I am a college student and I have found this book to be an excellent text. It's written in real-world language, so I didn't spend half of my time looking up jargon that only history scholars would understand. The author writes sensibly but also keeps the reader's interest thorugh fabulous color pictures and the questions that he poses.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I Wish I Could Combine Them All, May 2, 2007

By 

R. Kirkham "jrkirkham" (Rushville, Illinois USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Experiencing the World's Religions: Tradition, Challenge, and Change with PowerWeb: World Religions (Paperback)

I've used several college religion texts through the years. Each has its strengths and weaknesses. EXPERIENCING THE WORLD'S RELIGIONS is no exception. I especially like the chapters on Hinduism and modern religious expressions. This book comes close to labeling post-modernity without actually going out on a limb to predict the future. The last chapters elevate this book beyond the norm for religious textbooks. The author includes a personal experience (which I like) in each chapter and a hypothetical experience for the reader (which I find distracting) opens each chapter. It doesn't put quite as much emphasis on basic (oral) religions as some texts. For instance, I wish it had a little more on Native American and Traditional African religions.

This is an excellent text for the instructor who is able to bring supplemental material into the classroom. Someone embarking on a private study of world religions should not feel as if the surface has been scratched until more than one text is read. I also reviewed RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD by Hopfe & Woodward. The two texts compliment each other nicely.