In recent years interest in Religion has grown and become more widespread. This book is the result of four years' work by eighteen expert contributors from nine countries to produce a lavishly-illustrated encyclopedia to cover all major religions and beliefs in a single volume work.

With around 4,500 entries Encyclopedia of World Religion is broadly ecumenical, respecting the perennial human search for truth. It covers all the major religions - Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Chinese and Japanese religions - and its coverage is as extensive as the vast subjects requires.

The fundamental goal of an encyclopedia is to make accessible to a particular audience definitive information on the broadest possible range of subjects. An encyclopedia should furnish basic information, outline issues and controversies, access importance, and trace influences. Supplemented by more than 1450 illustrations, such a work will reinforce leaning, enlarge understanding, and stimulate the imagination.

Attempts have been made to systematize and bring order to a vast range of knowledge about man's religious beliefs, practices and institutions. The classification of religious involves efforts to establish groupings among historical religious communities having certain elements in common or the endeavor to group certain religous phenomena in categories that serve to reveal the structure of religious experience as a whole.

Efforts have been made to describe the reflections on, a wide spectrum of experiences, situations, and issues recognized as "religious" as well as a traditional concern with a reality beyond appearance. Characteristic approaches and attitudes of adherents of particular religions, sympathizers, and critics of the above concerns are includes.

This Encyclopedia explains the sources and history of the world's religions, from Buddhism, Christianism, Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism and Zoroastrianism to regional groups in Africa, China and Japan. It also describes the doctrines, practices and teachings of different religions, including rites of passages and specific rituals.

Lavishly supplemented by over 1,450 full color illustrations

Includes chronologies of Christianity and World Religions and an in-depth bibliography

Thousands of references to literature, history, art, architecture, famous figures and philosophy with respect to religion

Encyclopedia of World Religions is the result of four years' work by eighteen expert contributors from nine countries. Acknowledging the growing interest in religion, Encyclopedia of World Religions covers all major religions and beliefs.

With clear and concise entries in an easy to find format, this encyclopedia makes definite information on world religions accessible, covering the history, doctrines, practices and teachings, rites of passage and specific rituals of the world's major religions: African Religions, Buddhism, Chinese Religions, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Japanese Religions, Judaism, Mythology, Native American Beliefs, Sikhism and Zoroastrianism.