Eastern Religions : Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Shinto

by Michael D. Coogan

This comprehensive survey is a thorough introduction to the five great Eastern faiths for all those in the West who wish to fathom the spirit of the East. The vast range of topics covered the life of the Buddha; karma and rebirth; inspiring teachers and gurus; the life of Confucius; sacred Taoist texts; the epics of the 'Ramayana' and the 'Mahabharata; holy landscapes, shrines and festivals; and enlightenment. The book gives an overview of each faith's approach to spiritual and ethical beliefs, art and architcture, sacred writings, ritual and ceremony, and death and the afterlife. Also, included are special documentary sections presenting extracts from and summaries of key texts and other invaluable reference material designed to illuminate central features of all five religions.

Genres: Religion, Philosophy, Nonfiction, Hinduism, Buddhism, Reference, Japan

552 pages, Paperback

First published May 5, 2005

About the author

Michael David Coogan is Director of Publications for the Harvard Semitic Museum and Professor of Religious Studies at Stonehill College. For several decades, he has taught an introductory course on the Hebrew Scriptures at Harvard University, as well as at Wellesley College, Boston College, and Stonehill College. One of the leading biblical scholars in the United States, he is the author of The Old Testament: A Historical and Literary Introduction to the Hebrew Scriptures, and editor of the acclaimed third edition of The New Oxford Annotated Bible.

Reviews

[Gerald Jerome · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first introduction into these topics and themes in a broad sense so I have nothing to compare it to, but as a first-timer it functioned well as a primer. There were times when it used the word "auspicious" too much so that became redundant. I could have done without the information regarding different festivals though some people may find it interesting or useful. Overall, even though books like these are becoming less practical and efficient with the advent and proliferation of Wikipedia, it still served as a good source of information. It also seemed (to my best estimation, at least) to avoid former foibles of orientalism that can sometimes obscure understanding concerning the subjects of philosophy and religion of the East.

[William Schram · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eastern Religions with General Editor Michael D. Coogan is a basic guide to the salient points of Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, and Shinto. It is a very informative book with lovely pictures that display people in worship and various places connected to the religion in question. As the blurb on the back says, “The book looks at each religion in terms of nine key themes,” and goes on to list those themes. So it covers the origins of the religion if they are known, the sacred times and sacred sites, important people within the religion, how worship is carried out, and so on and so forth. At the end of each theme is a section that looks at the essential writings of that religion and has a little commentary on what it means and the context for which it applies. While this book might seem long at first glance, I was able to get through it pretty quickly.

[Gumbo Ya-ya · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was exactly what I was looking for in an introductory work. It is concise, clear, easy to read, and highlights key aspects of the religions discussed without getting bogged down in confusing details.
Each of the 5 religions (Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, and Shinto) are explored in 9 chapters of roughly 10 pages each, making the book --although a large tome-- easy to digest. Having the sections all collected the same way also facilitates ease of comparison between the religions.
With only about 100 pages per section, the authors obviously are not able to delve particularly deeply into their subject matter, but it makes a great introductory work.

[Jake Chaplin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good and concise introductory book on Eastern Religions, useful for people who wish to learn the basics. Simply written and split into useful sections.

[Scott Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent and scholarly summary of the major Eastern religions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, and Shintoism. The format is helpful and well-organized, allowing for comparison of each belief system. Each religion is discussed within a framework of ten sections: (1) Introduction (or summary), (2) Origins and Historical Development, (3) Aspects of the Divine, (4) Sacred Texts, (5) Sacred Persons, (6) Ethical Principles, (7) Sacred Space, (8) Sacred Time, (9) Death and the Afterlife, and (10) Society and Religion. Except for the introduction, each section ends with a pertinent quote from a historical primary text plus the author's commentary. I started reading this work prior to being asked to teach a high school comparative religion course; I'm very thankful that I have it as a resource. However regardless of the reason for reading this work, the reader will be able to glean much about the beliefs and practices of those who adhere to Eastern religions and teachings.

[Daniel Crouch · Rating 3 out of 5]

This thorough survey of the major eastern religions was intriguing, both conveying some of the magic in those faiths and also broadening my understanding of them. Hinduism, Buddhism, and Taoism, in particular, I began to see as especially layered and different in focus than I had originally conceived. Nonetheless, the book can be dry at times, and I couldn't care less about their thousands of festivals.

[Luna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh, it's fairly adequate. It tells you what you need to know, and I liked the way it was broken up. Each religion had its basic history, the sacred people, places and times, and the way society deals it with, along with the various ceremonies and beliefs that go with any religion. But the writing is a bit simplistic, which I found a bit dull after a while.

I do like the five religions that are written about in this book, but you won't get much more than the basics from it. If you want to know the basic history and rituals that go along with the religions, or you're just getting started, then I recommend this book. If you're looking for a bit more, though, then try somewhere else.

[Polly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I originally started reading this book because traditional western religions did not resonate with me. This book provided a good introduction to the basic tenets of each of the five religions covered - Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism and Shinto. Each chapter contained some repetition due to the organization within the chapter. Overall, I think this was a very good place for me to start. I am now going to read some of the actual sacred texts of the religions, particularly Taoism, to try to get a deeper understanding.

[A · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't finish it, but I may go back to read the last couple of chapters someday. It's written like a textbook and reads as such, but it does give a pretty decent overview of the various religions. I'd recommend it for anyone looking to learn more about the basics of these religions.

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent enough summary, but a bit vague.

[Karl Bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Only Read the Buddhism Section but found the the information was great and well laid out into different categories.

[Arba Tabaku · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found it fascinating!!!!!

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great ...