Synopses & Reviews
This comprehensive survey of the religions of India and the Far East offers writings by noted scholars; coverage of the role of religion in everyday life; information on what it is like to be an adherant to each religion; and discussion of religion's influence on gender roles.
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. 223-228) and index.
Table of Contents
Introduction: Religion and Religions of Asia
Understanding Religion in the Context of Pluralism
Developing a Cross-Cultural Model of Religion:
Religious Needs and Satisfactions
The Structure of Religion
How to Read This Book
PART I. RELIGIONS OF INDIA
1. The Earliest Forms of Hinduism
The Indus Civilization
The Religion of the Vedas
2. Classical Hinduism: The Way of Action
3. Classical Hinduism: The Way of Knowledge
4. Classical Hinduism: The Way of Devotion
5. Modern Hinduism
6. Jainism and Sikhism
Jainism
Sikhism
PART II. BUDDHISM
7. The Rise of Buddhism
The Life of the Buddha
The Teachings of the Buddha: The Dharma
The Early Buddhist Community: The Sangha
Early Buddhism and the "New Society"
8. The Development of Buddhism in India
The Apogee and Decline of Indian Buddhism
9. Buddhism as a World Religion
Buddhism in "Greater India"
Buddhism in Central Asia, China, and Japan
Buddhism in Tibet
Buddhism in the Modern Era
PART III. RELIGIONS OF CHINA AND JAPAN
10. Roots of Religion in China
The Unity of Chinese Religions
China's Early Religious History
The Age of the Hundred Philosophers
11. Three Visions of Harmony: Confucian, Daoist, Buddhist
12. Neo-Confucianism: From the Classical Era to Modern Times
China in a Period of Revolutionary Change
13. Japan's Religions: From Prehistory to Modern Times
The Shinto Substratum of Japanese Religiosity
Religion and Society in Early Japan
The Medieval Period
The Modern Period