Personal Experience of Religion (Western Volume)

Author: Mary Pat Fisher
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2005-11-01
Features: Reprinted ten times, a best-selling religious and cultural reader in Europe and America, the first Chinese translation, providing a comprehensive understanding of the complete picture of religion. Most Western religions view humans as the masters of nature, distinct from bears, plants, mountains, rivers, and other ordered beings. John Sied, an internal ecologist from Australia, calls this attitude anthropocentrism—"that is, human chauvinism, which holds that humans are the kings of the biological world, the source of all values, and the measure of all things." Western religions need to find the essence of universal love through humanistic reflection—it not only lies within the Bible but also exists in the brief history of society and nature. This book studies the major religions originating from the Western world, with vivid and engaging writing. After providing a detailed introduction to Judaism, Christianity, Islam, indigenous religious rituals, and some emerging religious movements, the book also explores how they have been integrated into the beliefs and customs of contemporary people. For the religious pluralism and dialogue movements that began with the arrival of the new millennium, this book also offers a unique and meticulous perspective. The Western religions that profoundly influenced modern human civilization have, with the emergence of the "Clash of Civilizations" theory, transcended the cultural level. The history of the growth, development, and responses and conflicts of the two major world religions covered in this book—Christianity and Islam—has become a topic of interest for anthropologists, cultural elites from around the world, and those interested in religious culture. The book uses a wealth of primary materials, and its calm and rational perspective allows readers to relive the path of the prophets in their hearts. The fusion of the world and the harmony of the universe are reflected in the marvelous transformations and innovations of Western religions.