Customer Reviews

The Story of Religion

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

 

 

Unfortunately, a previous review of this book deterred me from buying it for quite some time. But I happened to find it in a local used bookstore and LOVED it! I am an atheist and I tend to be overly sensitive to religious propaganda. I get very aggrivated when I feel people are forcing their beliefs on me. This book absolutely did NOT do that!

This was a very good introduction to world religions. In my opinion it gave very equal treatment to the different religions and was not biased in any way. And after introducing each of the more popular religions, the writers spent an additional five pages discussing lesser practiced religions, atheism, diveristy, and the "Golden Rule". The very last pages of the book even contain a glossary which includes information about religions that weren't included in the book.

This was exactly what I was looking for to introduce the various world religions to my 6-year-old son! Don't let the previous reviewer scare you away! I highly recommend this book!

I cannot say enough about how wonderful this book is. I am not a Christian, and I am not a religious person. Still, I want my children to know about and understand the powerful religious forces in the world.

The information is simple and straightforward, but there is enough there to clearly explain the foundations of the world's (and history's) dominant religions. The recommended ages are 4 - 8, but I think 4 might be too young and 11 might be a better top age.

The book focuses on acceptance of the differences in religious beliefs. I do not see the Judeo-Christian bias described by a previous reviewer.

Ironically, the 'fundies' ...are unlikely to approve of it! ...extremely committed 'fundamentalist' Christians (or other religion, as in ultra-orthodox Jews, or hardline Muslims or whatever). This book is not made for people whose worldview is already cast in stone- there is no way that they would be able to endorse a book that sums itself up by saying "The fact that in this world there are so many people following so many different paths to God shows that there is no one right way."

This book is a rarity in these times: a book that looks at the big picture, written in a clear, accessible but literate manner. It does not talk down to the reader- precocious 9's will enjoy it, but so will adults. It is a journey through the evolution of religion, from early concepts of powers beyond our own into increasingly structured and codified faiths. The summaries of the developments of the major world faiths of today are outstanding- they give a clear context and understanding in a very clear, succinct paragraphs. Illustrations in a variety of styles support and augment the text beautifully.

There are other books for teaching the specifics of different faiths, for every age range. This book paints a picture of how the religions of today developed, and makes a strong case for tolerance of understanding and respecting other paths to God/ Enlightenment/ Truth etc. Even the back cover quotes pitch in- I initially ignored them, assuming that they were the usual "this is a great book" blurbs, but instead they area fine selection of quotes from people as diverse as Frederick the Great and Thomas Paine.

If you are interested in a broader understanding of religion as a part of human society - for yourself or for your children- this is a great place to start. And you may just find some things that lift your faith in the world at the same time. This is a don't miss book for anybody who can accept the idea that there is more than one right answer.

I was looking for a resource to open my daughter's eyes to the world of religion without a biase and I found it. This book offers a peek into many religions without stating who's right or who's wrong. The Story of Religion is a wonderful way for an agnostic or non-practicing believer to share the nuisances of peoples faiths without exposing them to the divisiveness found in so many introductory religious resources.

I think this book is very moving and provides students with a greater understanding of religion. I did not find this book biased and thought that it would help some of my students, who came from communist countries, understand what religion is. Doesn't mean that I want to convert them, but it will be easier to participate in discussions of religion and create dialogue with their parents, who entered them into a religious school.

My 8 yr old was starting to ask questions about religion so I purchased this book so I could teach him about the main religions in a language that he could understand. I have found it an excellent starter book as it gives just the right amount of information for his age so as not to overwhelm him. We have been reading it together and I have also found it very informative as there was quite a bit I didn't know about certain religions. Even my 6 yr old has been sitting in with us.

My four year old has been bringing up God a lot to me, especially since my devoutly Catholic parents came for a visit. I want my son to respect adults so I didn't want to disparage anything my parents had told him but at the same time, I wanted him to know that some people believe in different things and that it's okay. Then his camp took him to see the movie, Evan Almighty, and my son came home telling me that he had seen God and that God talked. My boyfriend showed him a picture of Morgan Freeman on the internet and explained that he was an actor pretending to be God. So I've been reading this book to my son but we haven't gotten through the whole thing yet. There just aren't a lot of books like this for his age. This is a little bit over his head and he's somewhat bored by it but it is doing what I needed it to do.

As a mom, I had no idea where to begin with my child when it comes to religion as I am spiritual and not aligned to any particular practice. I found this book a great comparative religion book- it explained what many of his friends at school believe and provided a background for many religions so that my son has the opportunity to learn more. I am glad I got the book.

This book is mostly a "pro-religion / all religions are OK in their own way / let's all get along" kind of book. However, despite its pro-religion emphasis, tidbits of truth and relevant information regarding religion are available but be forewarned that there's a heavy dose of pro-christian / pro-religion cheering in the book.

It seems to be making an effort to recognize (as in acknowledge the existence of) all religions but it also seems to be preaching that Christianity is the best, Jewish/Islam religions are close, and all other religions have a ways to go to measure up to the Judeo-Christian-Islamic GOD. In other words, typical western style GOD propaganda rears its ugly head here.

This might be an ideal book for fundies or devoutly religious folks (especially Christians) to read in order to expose them to other religions in a manner which gives them warm fuzzies about religion being an OK idea - for me, personally, this is not the approach to take with kids, but hey, maybe better this (tidbits of facts mixed with standard pro-religion propaganda) than nothing when it comes to the brainwashed single-religion focus that most parents inflict on their kids.

If you are seeking basic religious information for your children (with scant details on actual facts and no information regarding the truth or lack thereof regarding religious beliefs) along with apologetics for ALL religions and (included at no extra charge) three sentences on disbelief making disbelief appear to be a flawed way of thinking, this is the book for you.

This is a picture book, not a reference book. As written, it is intended to be read in a single sitting to or by a child. There are no headings or subheadings for each religion covered in the main text. There four pages of endnotes, however, and an index. Illustrations appear to have been done in colored pencil, and an attempt has been made to show a variety of global art styles.

The book opens with a general discussion of religion as something that shapes and controls behavior. Ancient religions are discussed briefly. More text is devoted to Confucianism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. At the end of the book, four other religions are given a paragraph each: Zoroastrianism, Jainism, Shintoism, and Sikhism. The Golden Rule is used as a unifying concept for all major religions.

This is not a book I would use with my own children.

The author makes her own religious beliefs clear by asserting that "There is no one way to seek God." Furthermore, although the author uses a passive, descriptive voice throughout most of the book, there are occasional lapses into the active voice of a believer. This kills any sense that the book is objective.

Many terms are used with the assumption that a child understands what they mean. For example: spirits, ghosts, gods, goddesses, enlightenment. Notably absent are the terms "deity" and "supernatural." There is no glossary at the end of the book to go with the endnotes and index.

Some of the text is culturally insensitive. For instance, polytheism is implicitly presented as primitive. A figure of a Hopi katchina is captioned as an example of North American "Primal Religion." The only Christian sub-groups mentioned in the text are "Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, and numerous Protestant sects." I wouldn't be surprised if there is something offensive about this book to followers of all religions. Atheism is given only a passing mention, and is immediately trumped by the assertion that most people who aren't religious are just "unsure" or non-practicing. Modern Paganism isn't given a nod at all.

Information about prehistoric religion is presented as if it were fact, and a conjectural drawing of hunters doing a bear dance is ridiculous. There are no records of what early people thought, and archaeological evidence is scant. I would never want to imply otherwise with my own children.

In general, I'm uncomfortable with the way this book presents religion as "fact." Belief is shown as the default, rather than as something that children are taught. The book also makes value judgements between religions, thereby implying that some faiths are more "True" than others. This isn't the worst children's book about religion, and the illustrations are sort of pretty. For this I give it two stars.