Customer Reviews

Experiencing the World's Religions: Tradition, Challenge, and Change with PowerWeb: World Religions

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

As introductions to various religions go, this book has quite a good approach. Since it's written in American English for a Western audience, it takes care to show where the original linguistic parts for all the terms come from and rough translations of what they actually mean compared to what they fully mean in order that the reader may get to understand the religion in its own terms. It also doesn't do what a lot of failures-for-intros do, which is assume the reader is Christian and speak of everything in terms of its comparison to Christianity.

It not only looks at key-terms, but history, art, effects of it on the outside world and the outside world on it, and how it exists in the modern day. All of these points are useful.

While each chapter isn't necessarily a full-blown account of every facet of the religion it deals with, it goes beyond just giving a simple outline and takes some time to try to explain things, along with giving references to resources for further study by personal interest. This is a very good thing.

However, the author, Michael Molloy, chose to do an interesting thing with this book. Sometimes he switches into a second-person mode to try to bring the reader into the subject he's talking about. Unfortunately, second-person is so difficult to write and ill-advised. I couldn't help reading, "You do this," and thinking, "Oh I do, don't I?" as a sort of natural resistance to an unnamed authority. I don't know if this is a personal response of if many people just automatically assume such resistances, but all I know is that I'm not much one for Choose-Your-Own adventure.

Second-person isn't the only odd thing he does with the structure of the book. He often ends the chapters in first person, which is just as distracting and also begs the question, "Well, if the first part was all about me, why is the last part all about you?" Simple things like that can become distracting, and I believe it would have been better to present such material in one particular case. I know this weighs down a lot of the writing and makes it difficult to care about (as it will be mostly students in introductory college courses reading this book, not people personally interested), but I'd rather be spending my time getting all the information from the book than trying to force my mind not to argue with the exposition.

--PolarisDiB

This book gives a clear and very understandable outline of most common and uncommon religious traditions we experience today. Important for anyone interested in understanding what each religion teaches without bias. The writer does a great job giving the facts without passing judgment.

The book came as promised, used, but good condition. Arrived on time (within the promised timeframe). I can't complain about anything. I am satisfied with the purchase because I got a cheap book that I needed for a college class.

Exactly as described...took a little longer for shipping (even though it was still within time frame) received just a few days after class started.

Arrived on time & in great condition (better than I even expected- minimal wear, no marks). This older edition was basically identical to the later one, so worked great for my Religions of the World class. Facsinating. Good price. Thanks!

I found this text book to be clear and easy to read. Very understandable in many key points of various of religions. It has clear definitions and incredible photos.

I waited for weeks and never received the book, i started the class without the book and im not happy at all. the seller expected me to find the book when i didnt even had a tracking number. bad seller period.