Introducing World Religions, a book authored by Charles E. Farhadian. and published in 2015, is an insightful religious book that addresses the Christian audience of the 21st century on world religions viewed through a Christian lens. Professor Farhadian is a renowned author of Christian texts and a distinguished contributor to religious debates. In this particular text, Farhadian unapologetically and without fear initiates a debate about world religions from a Christian perspective that incorporates all the religions of the world (Farhadian, 2015). Interestingly, the book explores different religions, presenting some fascinating similarities and differences between these religions and how they relate to Christianity.
To address the similarity of religions explored in this book, the author begins by providing an insightful exposition of the theories. Notably, Freud and Durkheim’s theory of religion is captured in a deeper sense. For instance, these eight attributes characterize almost all religions of the world, including Christianity: traditionalism, myths and symbols, ideas of salvation, sacred objects, and places, sacred actions and rituals, sacred writings, sacred community, and religious experiences (Farhadian, 2015). Therefore, with their diverse practices and beliefs, most religions converge on these eight common characteristics.
The book also addresses the profound differences in beliefs, practices, and experiences in various religions. For instance, while all religions perform sacred rituals to mark particular events symbolic to their respective faiths, the rituals are particularly different in their respective way of conduction and characters involved as well as spirits invoked (Muck, 2005). A classic example is the initiation rituals (Farhadian, 2015). Every religion has its unique way of initiating its believers.
Therefore, Introducing World Religions is a religious exposition of the dynamics of various religions and their interactions with the Christian religion. The book is particularly resourceful for use far and beyond the context of churches and church-related universities and seminaries. This book is an interesting read for lovers of religious studies regardless of their level of knowledge of religions of the world. The book also welcomes the readership of believers of religions other than Christianity as it is based on an unbiased perspective of all the religions explored.
References
Farhadian, C. E. (2015). In Introducing world religions: A Christian engagement (pp. 1–58). Baker Academic.
Muck, T. C. (2005). How to study religion: A beginning guide to method. Wood Hill Books.