Worldwide Worship: Prayers, Songs, and Poetry [Hardcover]

John Marks Templeton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 2000

Drawn from classical and religious texts, as well as the work of poets and other artists, Worldwide Worship is a unique celebration of worship found in many religious traditions. These selections have been chosen singularly and as a group by John Marks Templeton, not only for their individual aesthetic beauty, but also to assist us in learning various lessons of life.

From this rich mixture of prayer, song, and poetry comes a confirmation of the life-affirming universality of the human spirit. Together these works celebrate the universal principles found in the human mind, and attempt to bridge the gaps between religions, cultures, and peoples of the world.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This far-reaching collection is an anthology of selections from an astonishing variety of voices and traditions, from Sogyal Rinpoche and Anwar Sadat, to suras from the Koran, to poems by Rainer Maria Rilke and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. It is far from the first inter faith anthology of prayers and praises, but it is notable for the high aesthetic quality of its selections and very interesting for its center section of hymns and religious songs in score. Recommended for most general collections.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Sir John Templeton was born in Winchester, Tennessee, went to Yale, and then to Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. He is known for his astute investment skills on Wall Street and through the Templeton Mutual Funds. In 1987 he founded the John Templeton Foundation, and he currently funds the Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Templeton Press; 1 edition (June 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1890151351
• ISBN-13: 978-1890151355
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #356,699 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fine inclusion for any religious studies collection., September 5, 2000

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Worldwide Worship: Prayers, Songs, and Poetry (Hardcover)

The prayers, songs and poetry presented in Worldwide Worship are drawn from classical and religious texts as well as the works of poets. This examines worship traditions in many different religions, illustrating common qualities in worldwide worship and including a rich blend of prayer, song, and poetry reflecting religious appreciation and celebration. A fine inclusion for any religious library.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Inoffensive, but could have been much better, September 7, 2005

By 

Erik Dutton "musical mystic" (Charlotte, NC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Worldwide Worship: Prayers, Songs, and Poetry (Hardcover)

I picked up this book primarily for the scored music section, and in that area I found the book very disappointing. Of 46 songs scored in the book, about half seem to be from either the Shaker or Unitarian Universalist hymnal, and all but one come from either American or European sources - and that one is by a Filipino Christian. The most interesting piece (to me, at least) is not even properly speaking a hymn at all, but a setting of a poem by Henry Longfellow.

These choices, in my view, invalidate the title of the book. Given the title and the symbols of many religions on the cover, I came to it hoping to find actual sacred music from other religions, not just watered-down Christian or Christian-lite hymns chosen for their generality and inoffensiveness.

I also was surprised to note, in the first section, "A Gathering of Prayers", how many of the selections are not, in fact, prayers of any kind, but general reflections and poetry excerpts that sometimes do not even have religious content to speak of.

All in all, I have found most of the relevant material in other places (Andrew Harvey's "The Essential Mystics", for instance), and most of the material that is unique to this volume is not essential.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A worship source for the millenium, September 1, 2000

By 

Delton H. Krueger (Bloomington, MN) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Worldwide Worship: Prayers, Songs, and Poetry (Hardcover)

As a source for personal spiritual exploration or leadership of public worship, "Worldwide Worship" stretches the boundaries. It is an early venture into what is destined to be a network of religious ideas spread across world cultures by instant communication. I wonder about some of the choices - a sign of the effectiveness of the format. It causes one to consider the reasons why this choice was made and what causes my reaction. A dialogue takes place that broadens ones perceptions and gives greater depth to ones own chosen faith. All for the good in one world of many faiths.