What do you think?
Rate this book
Oneness: Great Principles Shared by All Religions
"An impressive array of selections. They show common ethics that transcend the narrow confines of sectarianism."
ATLANTA JOURNAL & CONSTITUTION
Beneath the seeming differences of all the world's great religions, lies a pool of universal truth. ONENESS collects these beliefs together for the first time, in the actual words of each religion's scriptures. These universal principles act as a guide to inner development, and allow each individual to achieve spiritual richness.
From the Trade Paperback edition.
ATLANTA JOURNAL & CONSTITUTION
Beneath the seeming differences of all the world's great religions, lies a pool of universal truth. ONENESS collects these beliefs together for the first time, in the actual words of each religion's scriptures. These universal principles act as a guide to inner development, and allow each individual to achieve spiritual richness.
From the Trade Paperback edition.
256 pages, Paperback
First published September 30, 1989
21 people are currently reading
196 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
February 6, 2012
This small book shares various moral principals that are shared by all of the major world religions. It takes each principal and then nicely lists the text from the Holy book or quote from the respective sage regarding each principal. Covering everything from The Golden Rule, Speak Truth, Judge Not, Love Thy Neighbour, and many others. It is really encouraging to have a book on religion illustrating our similarities with our brothers and sisters rather than erecting more walls between them. As an interfaith pastor myself, I feel the world needs many more works like this. People need to know that we share more than we think and are taught wen it comes to other faiths.
For those who are not as trained in the various religions, it is nice to see thoughts from Sikhism, Confucianism, Judaism, Buddhism, Islam, Shintoism, Taoism, Christianity, Hinduism, & Sufism all in one source that is concise and easy to interpret.
This book left me wanting much more, but as it stands, it serves it's purpose. I am prayerful that it leads folks to do further research, establish dialogue with other religions, and be more open minded to the dangers of religious absolutism in a pluralistic society.
We need to live together as a world race....a human race, and divisions just causes fear, ignorance, and needless judgement. As the old Christian hymn says..."all God's children have a place in the choir" Amen. Sow peace and grow love....
For those who are not as trained in the various religions, it is nice to see thoughts from Sikhism, Confucianism, Judaism, Buddhism, Islam, Shintoism, Taoism, Christianity, Hinduism, & Sufism all in one source that is concise and easy to interpret.
This book left me wanting much more, but as it stands, it serves it's purpose. I am prayerful that it leads folks to do further research, establish dialogue with other religions, and be more open minded to the dangers of religious absolutism in a pluralistic society.
We need to live together as a world race....a human race, and divisions just causes fear, ignorance, and needless judgement. As the old Christian hymn says..."all God's children have a place in the choir" Amen. Sow peace and grow love....
December 15, 2014
I had a copy of this book in hard cover many years ago. When I started a Christian bible study in November of this year, I was motivated and found the book again, downloadable to my tablet. It is an incredible collection of the basic tenants shared by the major religions of the world. I wish we could all celebrate our similarities rather than focusing on our differences.
I highly recommend this book.
I highly recommend this book.
June 9, 2009
I ordered this book online, after finding it and reading reviews on Goodreads. I have to admit, I was surprise when I opened the package. It is really more of a pocket guide than a book... it will literally fit in the pocket of a pair of pants. Despite its small size, it is worth reading, if you enjoy inspirational books. Each principle is discussed in about 3 (small) pages. So, it is easy to just read a few pages at a time. I did find the principles reaffirming... if more people in this world would focus on what we have in common, rather than our differences, there would be far fewer problems.
February 1, 2008
You may feel it, you may "know" it but seeing the precise similarities of the worlds religion in print is really amazing.
February 16, 2023
Despite the rating, I don’t hate this book. It clearly comes from good intentions and the author’s own spiritual journey.
My problem is one of academic scrutiny; Moses here hits many of the common pitfalls of the perennialist movement. It’s clear to me that, given his American-ness he carries with him a possibly-unrecognized strong Protestant Christian bias. This is supported by the fact that of all religions quoted in the text to support his 64 universal principles, the only one featured under every principle is Christianity. Not to mention the obvious Christian slant on several others: “God is love,” “man is created in God’s image,” and “Heaven is within” to name a few in which the examples from other religions are quite unirthodox readings in order to fit with the orthodox Christian doctrine the teaching is clearly originally pulled from. Example: for “heaven is within,” what the other quoted traditions are saying is importantly different from this; something along the lines of “God/knowledge of the divine/our relation to higher truth is within us.”
Judaism is cited often as well, but only insofar as it agrees with Christianity, and omitted from quite a few principles which might demonstrate a disagreement.
Then, given the author’s age I would hazard to say that he was quite affected by many New Age religious movements in the 70s and 80s, which appropriated a lot of material from Indian religious thought and practice. Appropriately, the second-most-commonly-cited religion in the book is Hinduism, though I can see this being relatively easy to pull from given the breadth of internal diversity in that tradition(s).
Many other traditions like Shintoism or Confucianism get nary a handful of mentions, such that I have to wonder why they were included - beyond the pessimistic reality that pointing to a greater quantity of traditions makes his universalist claims seem more legitimate.
If Moses were more self-critical and acknowledging of the real disagreements on many of these topics between traditions, if only in the minuteae, then this book would be much smaller - and it’s already tiny - or nonexistant. If the author’s own selective biases were more acknowledged, perhaps this could be reorganized like a memoir, explaining his own theology and why he believes these principles to be absolute truths, rather than potentially misinforming people on what the real religions he cites are actually saying about these topics.
As a final tangential note: I wish the citations were better. Each principle presents 5~ quotes attributed only to broad traditions (ex: “blah blah blah” - Christianity), without actually telling readers where those quotes are pulled from. For example, in the “God is love” principle, instead of Islam he cites Sufism, so I know the quote is not Quranic, but I also don’t know who wrote what he quoted from, and I don’t see any sources on Sufism in his brief bibliography. I’m not accusing him of making the quotes up, as I recognize enough of them that it would be an unlikely accusation. But it makes it frustrating if someone like myself would like to look at the quotes in their proper context, or even different translations as all come from originally non-English writings.
My problem is one of academic scrutiny; Moses here hits many of the common pitfalls of the perennialist movement. It’s clear to me that, given his American-ness he carries with him a possibly-unrecognized strong Protestant Christian bias. This is supported by the fact that of all religions quoted in the text to support his 64 universal principles, the only one featured under every principle is Christianity. Not to mention the obvious Christian slant on several others: “God is love,” “man is created in God’s image,” and “Heaven is within” to name a few in which the examples from other religions are quite unirthodox readings in order to fit with the orthodox Christian doctrine the teaching is clearly originally pulled from. Example: for “heaven is within,” what the other quoted traditions are saying is importantly different from this; something along the lines of “God/knowledge of the divine/our relation to higher truth is within us.”
Judaism is cited often as well, but only insofar as it agrees with Christianity, and omitted from quite a few principles which might demonstrate a disagreement.
Then, given the author’s age I would hazard to say that he was quite affected by many New Age religious movements in the 70s and 80s, which appropriated a lot of material from Indian religious thought and practice. Appropriately, the second-most-commonly-cited religion in the book is Hinduism, though I can see this being relatively easy to pull from given the breadth of internal diversity in that tradition(s).
Many other traditions like Shintoism or Confucianism get nary a handful of mentions, such that I have to wonder why they were included - beyond the pessimistic reality that pointing to a greater quantity of traditions makes his universalist claims seem more legitimate.
If Moses were more self-critical and acknowledging of the real disagreements on many of these topics between traditions, if only in the minuteae, then this book would be much smaller - and it’s already tiny - or nonexistant. If the author’s own selective biases were more acknowledged, perhaps this could be reorganized like a memoir, explaining his own theology and why he believes these principles to be absolute truths, rather than potentially misinforming people on what the real religions he cites are actually saying about these topics.
As a final tangential note: I wish the citations were better. Each principle presents 5~ quotes attributed only to broad traditions (ex: “blah blah blah” - Christianity), without actually telling readers where those quotes are pulled from. For example, in the “God is love” principle, instead of Islam he cites Sufism, so I know the quote is not Quranic, but I also don’t know who wrote what he quoted from, and I don’t see any sources on Sufism in his brief bibliography. I’m not accusing him of making the quotes up, as I recognize enough of them that it would be an unlikely accusation. But it makes it frustrating if someone like myself would like to look at the quotes in their proper context, or even different translations as all come from originally non-English writings.
July 31, 2017
This is a wonderful book for anyone who is looking for the unifying principles of the world's great religions. It presents quotes regarding 64 topics from various religions side by side making the observation of unity inescapable.
May 30, 2018
The title says it all.
Read
February 12, 2020Inspiring. I enjoyed the fact that the author had comparative scripture for other religions. It was a very easy read and was helpful in my own personal reflection.
May 19, 2023
I read "Oneness - Great Principles Shared By All Religions" by Jeffrey Moses not only to gain further insight regarding the world’s religions, but also how could I not read a book recommended by both Mother Teresa and the Dali Lama.
The principles in Moses’ book show the continuity of spiritual and secular thought throughout many different religions. And how each is similar in discussing ideas such as compassion, caring, welcoming in how they relate to societal issues and social justice.
Using the quoted words of each religion's scriptures, the book draws into focus the fact that in spite of the polarizing differences of all the world's great religions, there is a common universal truth. That in fact, they all believe the same thing, that moral values they all hold dear surpass the boundaries of sectarianism.
The principles in Moses’ book show the continuity of spiritual and secular thought throughout many different religions. And how each is similar in discussing ideas such as compassion, caring, welcoming in how they relate to societal issues and social justice.
Using the quoted words of each religion's scriptures, the book draws into focus the fact that in spite of the polarizing differences of all the world's great religions, there is a common universal truth. That in fact, they all believe the same thing, that moral values they all hold dear surpass the boundaries of sectarianism.
March 22, 2025
Beautiful juxtaposes the core human tenets through the way they have been reiterated, codified, and shared by every belief system. A stunningly grounding read, particularly for someone like myself who grew up parents of different religions. I read it for the first time as a teenager, but now have a copy on my shelf.
May 30, 2017
I appreciate the width of Jeffrey Moses's research. He compiles quotes from Hindu, Jewish, Christian, Shinto, Sufi, Sikh, Muslim and Jain texts so he can highlight their similarities, but two things about the book frustrate me.
One, he picks quotes that reinforce similarities while ignoring texts that contradict one another. This sometimes creates the notion of a false consensus between religions. (For example, when he says that religions are all essentially monotheistic, he quotes a text from Confucianism. However, there are plenty of people who studied Confucius who would tell you that there are no gods.)
That probably sounds nitpicky. After all, it's Moses's prerogative and he states his intentions in the book's title—to highlight similarities. And, yes, I realize one's notion is either as a joiner or a splitter. People tend to prefer grouping things or separating them when classifying. Moses is a joiner. There's nothing wrong with that.
However, to pick a single quote in the vast literature of a world religion and to treat it as a fundamental text because it aligns with other single quotes from other religions is like picking five random stars in the sky and deciding they look like a queen. To you, it's a constellation; to someone else, it's just dots.
Two, Moses doesn't cite his sources. When he quotes something, he doesn't mention the writer or text, just the religion of origin. For example, he'll cite "Christianity" without explaining if he's quoting the Bible, St. Augustine, or St. Teresa of Avila.
Even his Sources page doesn't offer a lot of help, because many of his sources are overviews of several religions like Bhagavan Das's "The Essential Unity of All Religions" and S.E. Frost Jr.'s "The Sacred Writings of the World's Religions."
Consequently, you can stumble on a nifty quote and have absolutely no idea where it came from, making it difficult to read more of the original text or get a sense of context.
One, he picks quotes that reinforce similarities while ignoring texts that contradict one another. This sometimes creates the notion of a false consensus between religions. (For example, when he says that religions are all essentially monotheistic, he quotes a text from Confucianism. However, there are plenty of people who studied Confucius who would tell you that there are no gods.)
That probably sounds nitpicky. After all, it's Moses's prerogative and he states his intentions in the book's title—to highlight similarities. And, yes, I realize one's notion is either as a joiner or a splitter. People tend to prefer grouping things or separating them when classifying. Moses is a joiner. There's nothing wrong with that.
However, to pick a single quote in the vast literature of a world religion and to treat it as a fundamental text because it aligns with other single quotes from other religions is like picking five random stars in the sky and deciding they look like a queen. To you, it's a constellation; to someone else, it's just dots.
Two, Moses doesn't cite his sources. When he quotes something, he doesn't mention the writer or text, just the religion of origin. For example, he'll cite "Christianity" without explaining if he's quoting the Bible, St. Augustine, or St. Teresa of Avila.
Even his Sources page doesn't offer a lot of help, because many of his sources are overviews of several religions like Bhagavan Das's "The Essential Unity of All Religions" and S.E. Frost Jr.'s "The Sacred Writings of the World's Religions."
Consequently, you can stumble on a nifty quote and have absolutely no idea where it came from, making it difficult to read more of the original text or get a sense of context.
September 10, 2015
I am equal parts delighted and humbled by this easy, yet complex little book. It supports my feeling that all religions are really facets of the same universal ideology, but also presents each idea in a very open minded yet concise way. I don't think you will find any new concepts that you have not heard before, but I think you might find a new way of thinking about some of them that makes a very big difference. The title says it all, and I can't think of anyone that wouldn't benefit by giving it a thoughtful and self-reflecting read. I think it might be especially helpful for those of us on the fence about religion, which I have been most of my life and still am so far as organized religions as practiced today, it takes the pressure off to choose one. Instead it focuses on the precepts they have in common and spirituality in general by presenting the commonalities among them. It is gentle encouragement to be a better person, and reassurance that you can be, that maybe you already are if you can broaden your interpretation. It's a reminder to leave the elitism of a particular denomination behind, to consider the meaning, more than the wording.
A definite recommend in this time of upheaval when so many feel their faith is being tested and that they must adhere so strictly to the letter of the law, when what is really needed is openness and caring of all, and less sectarianism. Reading this was cathartic, refreshing and hope giving.
A definite recommend in this time of upheaval when so many feel their faith is being tested and that they must adhere so strictly to the letter of the law, when what is really needed is openness and caring of all, and less sectarianism. Reading this was cathartic, refreshing and hope giving.
February 3, 2008
Nice collection of scriptural quotes from the world's great religions. In each brief chapter, scripture from Chritianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, and other traditions are placed next to each other to reveal them as nearly identical in their beautiful principles. Considering the contentiousness of some of these religions with each other, it's an interesting comparison of scripture. Still, the main intent is to inspire and instruct the reader to live righteously, not to mourn needless divisions. Nice introductions to each chapter by the author, too.
Only gripe is that it's a bit too easy not to fully contemplate how to apply the principles in one's own life. Perhaps if the author had supplied concluding questions at the end of each chapter?
Only gripe is that it's a bit too easy not to fully contemplate how to apply the principles in one's own life. Perhaps if the author had supplied concluding questions at the end of each chapter?
October 9, 2012
Not what i expected. just a bunch of quotes from different booksm
April 1, 2013
This would have been better with more modern translations.
literatura
July 23, 2017Tenho VERSÃO da SEXTANTE: UNIDADE - Os princípios comuns a todas religiões.
Read
October 19, 2017Nice to see where the world's major religions share thoughts.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews