Art and Architecture of the World's Religions (2 Volume Set)
Religion is often expressed and appreciated through art. Surprisingly, few books meld these two. Similarly, few books compare religions in terms of their creative expression. For these reasons, professor and art historian Ross’ set is a welcome reference work.   Both volumes begin with the same introduction, which provides the scope and purposes, defines religion and religious art, and explains the importance of art in religious studies. The first volume treats ancient and indigenous religions in eight chapters covering “Prehistoric Belief Systems,” “Religion in Ancient Egypt,” “Native American Religions,” and more. The second volume treats the major organized religions: Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, and Shinto.   Each chapter runs about 25 pages in length and includes the religion’s origin and development, its principal beliefs and key practices, traditional art and architectural forms, and selected illustrated examples of art and architecture. The paragraphs about traditional forms explain the types of architecture associated with each religion (e.g., ziggurats, pyramids, shrines). A few specific artifacts are detailed, noting their religious and artistic significance. The art enthusiast will recognize many of the examples, but the discussion of religious aspects give them new and enriched meaning. Black-and-white photos and occasional diagrams appear on about half of the pages. Endnotes validate the statements, and an extensive bibliography guides the reader to major works about the religion and its arts. Each volume features a center eight-page spread of color plates. Only the second volume has the extensive index.   Although this set cannot be considered definitive, it offers a very useful and intriguing introduction and is recommended for large public and academic libraries. Also available as an e-book. --Lesley Farmer