Chapter
Aryan scripture and religion
People left out of Hindu society
Hinduism’s epic tradition
Islamic dynasties in India
The Hindu Renaissance and Indian independence
From the Partition to the present
Contemporary Beliefs and Practices
Salvation according to the logic of karma
Salvation according to the logic of devotion
Salvation according to the logic of jnana
The Buddha’s life according to Buddhist traditions
The beginnings of Mahayana Buddhism
The emergence of Theravada Buddhism
A cosmic Buddha, and Buddhist cosmology
The Thunderbolt or Diamond Vehicle
The disappearance of Buddhism from India
Buddhism outside of India
Western imperialism and the rediscovery of Buddhism
The resurgence of Buddhism as a global religion
New leadership roles for the laity
Contemporary Beliefs and Practices
CHAPTER 3 Chinese Religion
A religious mandate for kingship, and five early scriptures
Early intellectuals and theorists
Confucianism and Daoism under the Han Dynasty
The synthesis of religion under the Han and the arrival of a new religion
Neo-Confucianism, the Three Teachings, and popular religion
The impact of European imperialism
Chinese religion in Taiwan and the PRC
Chinese religion outside of China
Contemporary Beliefs and Practices
Cosmic patterns and balance
Patterns in the physical world
Patterns in human society
Patterns in the spirit government
CHAPTER 4 Japanese Religion
What Japanese religion is and is not
Shinto and Buddhism as religions on their own
“Foreign religions” from China
The growth of Japanese Buddhism
Christian missionaries and the resurgence of Buddhism
The Meiji promotion of Shinto
Contemporary Beliefs and Practices
Rituals of memorialization
Expressions of care and concern
Rituals of life transitions
CHAPTER 5 African Religions
From the earliest artifacts to the fifteenth century
The fifteenth century to the early twentieth century
The middle of the twentieth century to the present
Contemporary Beliefs and Practices
Properly honoring spirits in the unseen world
Ways of communicating with the unseen world
Spiritual transitions in the life of the individual
CHAPTER 6 Religions of Oceania
The four regions of Oceania
Diversity and commonalities
European imperialism and Christian missions
The resilience of Oceanian religions
Religions of national identity
Contemporary Beliefs and Practices
Maintaining the cosmic balance
Power in the human life cycle
Orthodox, Reform, and Conservative Judaism
The Escape from Egypt and the Covenant
Monarchy and the First Temple
Jews from Germany and Spain
Jews under Christian rule
The Holocaust and the modern state of Israel
Contemporary Beliefs and Practices
Varieties of Christianity
Christianity to the end of the first century
Christianity as the imperial religion
The development of eastern and western Christianity
Two churches: a parting of the ways
Reformers and the birth of Protestant Christianity
From the Reformation to the Enlightenment
Recent challenges and developments
Contemporary Beliefs and Practices
Entering into communion with God
Sustaining and deepening one’s communion with God
Extending communion with God to others
The Arab people before Muhammad
The first four successors to Muhammad
The first Muslim dynasties
Shia developments and the Fatimid dynasty
Jerusalem and the Crusades
Sufi missions into sub-Saharan Africa and India
The last of the great Islamic dynasties
The decline of Islamic political power
Islamic reform in the twentieth century
International Muslim organizations
Transnational Muslim organizations
Recent unrest among Arab Muslims
Contemporary Beliefs and Practices
Uses of the Quran beyond Sharia
The three orientations of Islam
CHAPTER 10 Change in Religions and New Religions
Traditional Types of Change
Reform and progressive movements
When religions break apart
Combining the elements of two or more religions
New Patterns of Group Formation
An environment for seekers
From Seekers to New Religions
The birth of new religions
Developments in many directions
The Fate of NRMs and New Religions
The internet and cultural identity
Understanding the Religions of the World
：An Introduction
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