Exploring the Spirituality of the World Religions : The Quest for Personal, Spiritual and Social Transformation

This book is an insightful guide to the diverse ways that religious faith is practiced and spirituality is understood. Discussing contemporary issues such as post-modernism and the emergence of a ;quot;new paradigm, quot; the new realities of geopolitics, globalization and global warming, this book explores the importance of religion in people’s lives to provide direction in the society today. This book demonstrates the common quest among the world religions for a deeper and more profound spirituality. Describing the spiritual pathways of the various world religions, it assesses the ways that the beliefs, values and practices of these traditions can be life-giving, leading to personal and social responsibility and transformation, but also sometimes harmful and divisive, even used for dangerous purposes. Promoting constructive engagements between the world’s religions, this book will connect social justice and ethical engagements with core religious practices and spiritualities. This is an ideal introductory text for students of world religions, spirituality and interfaith relations, broadening their understanding of these lived faiths. "This book is an insightful guide to the diverse ways that religious faith is practiced and spirituality is understood. Discussing contemporary issues such as post-modernism and the emergence of a "new paradigm," the new realities of geopolitics, globalization and global warming, this book explores the importance of religion in people's lives to provide direction in the society today. This book demonstrates the common quest among the world religions for a deeper and more profound spirituality. Describing the spiritual pathways of the various world religions, it assesses the ways that the beliefs, values and practices of these traditions can be life-giving, leading to personal and social responsibility and transformation, but also sometimes harmful and divisive, even used for dangerous purposes. Promoting constructive engagements between the world's religions, this book will connect social justice and ethical engagements with core religious practices and spiritualities. This is an ideal introductory text for students of world religions, spirituality and interfaith relations, broadening their understanding of these lived faiths."--Bloomsbury Publishing. This book is an insightful guide to the diverse ways that religious faith is practiced and spirituality is understood. Discussing contemporary issues such as post-modernism and the emergence of a "new paradigm," the new realities of geopolitics, globalization and global warming, this book explores the importance of religion in people's lives to provide direction in the society today. This book demonstrates the common quest among the world religions for a deeper and more profound spirituality. Describing the spiritual pathways of the various world religions, it assesses the ways that the beliefs, values and practices of these traditions can be life-giving, leading to personal and social responsibility and transformation, but also sometimes harmful and divisive, even used for dangerous purposes. --From publisher's description The Spiritual Quest -- The Spiritual Pathways Rooted In Nature And Culture -- Indigenous Wisdom Tradtions -- Classical Expressions Of Culture-based Religions -- Current Expressions Of Nature/culture Religion -- The Spiritual Pathways Of Transcendent Monism -- Spiritual Pathways Within Hinduism -- Spiritual Pathways Within Buddhism -- Spiritual Pathways Within Confucianism And Taoism -- The Spiritual Pathways Of The Abrahamic Monotheistic Religions -- Spiritual Pathways Within Judaism -- Spiritual Pathways Within Christianity -- Spiritual Pathways Within Islam -- The Common Elements Of Life-giving Spiritualities -- Finding A Spiritual Pathway. Duncan S. Ferguson. Includes Index. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Presents an introduction to the spiritual pathways of the major world religions, exploring the core beliefs, values and practices of each tradition. Discussing contemporary issues such as post-modernism and the emergence of a 'new paradigm', this book explores the importance of religion in people's lives to provide direction in the society.