"Religion is hard to define, not because there is so little of it, but because there is so much," begins this informative anthology. Since religion has existed in one form or another since the dawn of human history and remains deeply embedded in human consciousness, its study forms an integral part of world history.

This concise volume offers an introduction to the eleven "living" religions of the world: Hinduism, Shintoism, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Taoism, Confucianism, Jainism, Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, and Sikhism. Three of these (Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam) aspire to universality, while the others are confined to special groups of people or countries. The editors present each religion in simple terms and without bias, geared toward readers new to the subject at hand. Each of the eleven topics features an introductory section that outlines its main doctrines and system; where applicable, an account of the life of the founder is provided. All introductions are followed by a substantial selection of verses and readings from the scriptures of the faith under discussion.

Students and teachers will find the breadth of this vast subject well served by the pithy introductions and illustrative scriptures, as will all others with an interest in religion and social history.

Content - FOREWORD, 1 INTRODUCTION, 2 HINDUISM, 3 SHINTOISM, 4 JUDAISM, 5 ZOROASTRIANISM (Parseeism), 6 TAOISM, 7 CONFUCIANISM, 8 JAINISM, 9 BUDDHISM, 10 CHRISTIANITY, 11 ISLAM (Muhammadanism),   12 SIKHISM, DISTRIBUTION OF THE WORLD'S RELIGIONS, COMPARATIVE CHART, GLOSSARY, BIBLIOGRAPHY