World Religions in America: An Introduction [Paperback]

Jacob Neusner (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1994

Native American religions, Protestantism, Catholicism, Orthodox Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, and most other world religions have something in common: They are all practiced in America. Americans are religious people. We cannot fully understand America, says volume editor Jacob Neusner, without making sense of its diverse religious life. We need to understand what religion is thought to be, how it works, and why it matters to people. The contributors to this volume provide basic information about each religion, give its history, review the figures who founded it, and emphasize how each religion appeared in America. Throughout, concern is fiven to two questions: How does religion shape American life? and How does religion impact the political life of this country? Each chapter ends with questions for discussion, essay topics for further study, and a section that examines significant vocabulary in each tradition. This book will bring insight to the reader, ignite discussion, and allow an understanding of the many peoples and religions of America.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

In this work, whose format suggests a collection of essays instead of a standard textbook, each of 14 chapters is devoted to a religious group or topic and written by a prominent scholar in the field of religious studies. The scholars provide factual data concerning each religion or topic, as well as their personal observations, opinions, and conclusions, giving the student not only a well-informed introduction to religions in America but also a sense that these religions are alive, active, and relevant to one's and the world's well-being. Of special interest are the chapters on religion and its relationship to women, politics, and society in general. Every chapter ends with study questions, essay topics, word explorations, and a further reading list. Recommended for high school libraries and undergraduate college libraries.
- Glenn Masuchika, Chaminade Univ. Lib., Honolulu
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Jacob Neusner is Research Professor of Religion and Theology and Senior Fellow at the Institute of Advanced Theology, Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, New York. He is the author of Classics of Judaism: A Textbook and Reader and Judaism When Christianity Began as well as the co-editor of The Religion Factor: An Introduction to How Religion Matters—all available from Westminster John Knox Press. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 308 pages
• Publisher: Westminster John Knox Pr; 1St Edition edition (February 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0664253008
• ISBN-13: 978-0664253004
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 6.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,140,582 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A holy melting pot..., November 15, 2003

By 

FrKurt Messick "FrKurt Messick" (Bloomington, IN USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: World Religions in America: An Introduction (3rd Edition) (Paperback)

The third edition of `World Religions in America', edited by Jacob Neusner, expands the text to include 20 chapters about the various aspects of religious experience and practice in America. As there is always a danger in any one person reading too lightly over the religious practices of another written by yet another, I enlisted the assistance of several other readers for reactions to this text. Not being Orthodox, or Christian Scientist, or Muslim, I enlisted readers from each of these faith traditions to read the chapters relating to their religions for their response. Each reader rated the relevant section `very good' to `excellent'.

As I read over the various chapters, I found the style engaging, entertaining and enlightening. Most writers write from their experience, either direct or long-standing academic. Andrew Greeley, who writes on the Catholic experience, is himself a Roman Catholic. Jacob Neusner, the editor, also wrote the chapter on Judaism, and is himself a Jew. The contributors read like a who's who of modern religious studies scholarship, and include Sam Gill (Native American religions), Martin Marty (Protestantism), Peter J. Paris (African-American experience), Justo L. Gonzalez (Hispanic religious experience), Jaroslav Pelikan (Orthodox), Gerald James Larson (Hinduism), Malcolm David Eckel (Buddhism), Robert S. Ellwood (East Asian religions), John Esposito (Islam), Dell deChant (World Religions made in the USA), Danny Jorgensen (Scientology, Nature religions, and Mormonism), Mike McMullen (Baha'i), Elizabeth Fox-Genovese (Women in religion), and William Scott Green (religion and society). One might notice directly the scarcity of female contributors.

This book is meant to be a textbook for introductory world religion courses. As such, the chapters each end with study questions, essay topics, and word/vocabulary lists. There is a glossary in the back, as well as a useful index (always a plus!). The writing is accessible to any with a high school education, given that there is a minimum of jargon and technical terms, and such as is used gets clearly defined and highlighted in lists and again in the glossary.

Neusner writes in his introduction that there are four different ways of exploring other religions: exclusivist (my way is the right way and you are all wrong); inclusivist (my way is right for me and your way is right for you); pluralist (every religion tells us something true); and empathetic interest (the primary focus of this book - looking at the ways in which religions are interesting and important historically and culturally, but not looking for theological truth). Neusner contends that this book will have been successful to the reader if the reader is able to understand important aspects of other religions and appreciate the importance of those aspects for the other person if meeting someone of another religion. In America, that is likely to happen. Almost all religions of the world are represented among the population of America, and certainly all `world religions' are present.

Perhaps the one drawback of the text is that there is no section on who the authors are - usually a text of this sort will have at least a one-paragraph synopsis of the qualifications and background of the contributing authors, but none is to be found here.

Overall, this is an excellent introductory text to world religions as they manifest in America. It could be used for parish-based studies on other religions, in adult classes in churches or colleges, or as a basic text for undergraduate students or seminarians to broaden the perspective, not only of the religious experience abroad, but the religious experience right next door.

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A good look at world religions from a U.S. perspective, August 18, 2004

By 

E. Johnson (El Cajon, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: World Religions in America: An Introduction (3rd Edition) (Paperback)

Anyone who wants to better understand world religions as they are practiced in America needs this book. So often religions are practiced differently from country to country, and I think this is especially true when it comes to America. We have a way of liberalizing the religions, so that when we travel abroad, we can be often amazed at the difference in styles and beliefs. Neusner takes writers from different points of view and allows them to give a quick history/background and sociological analysis of how the religions look here. (Don't expect these chapters--which usually are approx. 20 pages--to be the best overview of any of the religions. Choose another book for this purpose.) Sometimes their opinion is outright ridiculous. I'm still amazed at John Esposito's comment on page 173 that "Muslims worship the same God who is revered by Christians and Jews" as I know of no Christian, Jew, or Muslim for that matter who would agree--Trinity, anyone? But except for some comments like this--and there's more than one--the book does a good job with both world religions as well as the 19th century American religious movements like JWs, Mormons, and Christian Science. Overall, a very worthwhile book that ought to be studied by anyone interested in how religions are practiced.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Understand the Fundamentals, April 24, 2007

By 

Ryan Leack (Fullerton, CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: World Religions in America: An Introduction (3rd Edition) (Paperback)

This book is perfect for understanding the fundamentals of world religions in America, as the title suggests. It reads like any history book, mind you, yet the information on the various religions is more than fascinating. In a world of innumerable cultures and religions, it's essential to at least understand where the major religious groups are coming from, why Buddhists worship in temples, why Hindus place such an emphasis on art, and so on. I recommend this book to anyone interested in religion, and for those who are not, I still recommend it.