Religions of the world: a comprehensive encyclopedia of beliefs and practices

Abstract

An extraordinary survey, in four volumes, of the religious belief and practice in all 276 of the world's nations and territories. From the Aboriginal Cult of Maria Lionza in Venezuela to Zionist and Apostolic churches in South Africa and Zimbabwe, Religions of the World is the only comprehensive compilation of the world's existing major religious communities. This extraordinary four-volume survey examines the religious history and key religious communities in all 240 recognized nations and territories. More than 200 international experts contributed the 1,200+ entries covering each group's origin, history, organization, ecumenical contacts, and present status. Other entries focus on individual countries, surveying the current state of religious practice, supported by statistical data from leading religious statisticians David B. Barrett and Todd M. Johnson. The volumes place African independent churches, Japanese new religions, and surviving indigenous beliefs alongside Catholicism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Illustrated and indexed, and including cross-references and end-of-entry bibliographic citations, this remarkable set is destined to become the primary reference source on religious issues throughout the world. * 1,200+ A-Z entries including individual religious groups, country-by-country entries, and core entries that address major world religions * 200+ contributors including top religious scholars from around the globe * Photographs of religious leaders, ceremonies, sacred structures, and artifacts such as an Aboriginal sacred Churunga and the Gurujem Monastery in Tibet * Statistical data on the projected status of religions for 2000 to 2050 broken down by country and by type of religion * Cross references and end-of-entry bibliographic citations