Global Philosophy of Religion: A Short Introduction (Oneworld Short Guides)
Oneworld's strong presence in today's religious book market  includes a series of short histories and introductions to  religions and religious questions, to which these two recent  volumes are welcome additions. An authority on Hinduism and  comparative religion, Coward (Univ. of Victoria) here revises  his 1985 survey of the great religions' approaches to pluralism  by updating chapters, adding the Baha'i faith, and revising his  conclusions. He examines the response of six religions to  pluralism and the future of religious dialog. The only criticism  of this work is that it oversimplifies complexities and, in the  Baha'i case, may not have understood the underlying worldview  that permits both respectful dialog and the search for converts.  Runzo (Chapman Univ. & Cambridge Univ.), who is widely published  on religious pluralism, reviews the major arguments and issues  in religious philosophy from a global perspective. He covers the  various approaches that religions take toward each other and  toward arguments for and against God's existence, theodicy, life  after death, science, morality, and love. Helpful text boxes  present the main philosophical arguments. Both authors succeed  admirably in conveying to the student and educated lay reader  the philosophical and practical issues raised by the  interconnected world in which many religions coexist. Highly  recommended for academic and public libraries of all  sizes. William P. Collins, Library of CongressCopyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.