Choice 评论

Most texts on world religions are filled with a heavy dose of facts and curios. In this one, Ruland (Univ. of San Francisco) has fashioned a readable and intriguing journey through the variety of religious experiences. It begins with the chapter "Primal Ways" and proceeds through chapters on the major world religions: "Chinese-Japanese Ways" (Confucian, Taoist, and Shinto), "The Hindu Way," "The Buddhist Way," "The Jewish Way," "The Christian Way," and "The Muslim Way." The final chapter is an important addition entitled "The Humanist Way." The common thread tying everything together is the religious imagination. Ruland manages to treat each religious tradition with great respect and a good measure of objectivity. The material is well written and well presented. One drawback for undergraduate students may be the lack of color pictures. This is offset by an excellent text that should be quite accessible for the general educated reader. Recommended for undergraduates and for public libraries. J. J. Preston; SUNY College at Oneonta