The Cambridge Illustrated History of Religions (Cambridge Illustrated Histories)
Prolific comparative religion scholar Bowker here assembles a  team of competent authors to survey religious history. The major  religions get thoroughgoing treatment, with short introductions  also given to the Zoroastrianism; the religions of Greece, Rome,  Egypt, and Mesopotamia; aboriginal religions; and new religious  movements. Only Baha'i and Mormonism are truly scanted.  Christianity receives a separate chapter as well as substantial  treatment in chapters on Chinese, Korean, and Japanese  religions, but Buddhism in those countries is dealt with only  under Buddhism. Some of the articles include sections with a  special focus, as in a discussion of women in the entry for  Japanese Buddhism or the theme of universality in Christianity,  but the overall approach varies from article to article. There  is a chronology and basic bibliography, and extensive and  helpful illustrations, mainly in color, set off the text without  overwhelming it. This volume presents a large amount of  information in an engaging way, offering much scholarly insight  for the lay reader. It should, however, be used as a companion  to other established general introductions to world religions,  such as Huston Smith's The Illustrated World's Religions or The  HarperCollins Dictionary of Religion. Useful for students,  teachers, and general readers as an introduction to religious  history, this work is recommended for public and college  libraries. William P. Collins, Library of CongressCopyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.