Concise Guide to World Religions: The A-to-Z Encyclopedia of All the Major Religious Traditions

by Mircea Eliade, Ioan Petru Culianu

The definitive dictionary of the world's religions, compiled by two of the 20th century's most distinguished religion scholars.

This highly accessible resource distils Mircea Eliade's lifework of detailing and comparing humanity's entire religious heritage, providing fascinating insights into the character and worldview of the 33 principal religions. Including Buddhism, Christianity, Jainism, Judaism, Islam, Shinto, Shamanism, Taoism, South American religions, Baltic and Slavic religions, Confucianism, and the religions of Africa and Oceania, The HarperCollins Concise Guide to World Religions covers all kinds of religious figures, histories, sacred texts, mythologies, and mystical techniques.

Genres: Religion, History, Nonfiction

320 pages, Paperback

First published December 8, 1999

About the author

Romanian-born historian of religion, fiction writer, philosopher, professor at the University of Chicago, and one of the pre-eminent interpreters of world religion in the last century. Eliade was an intensely prolific author of fiction and non-fiction alike, publishing over 1,300 pieces over 60 years. He earned international fame with LE MYTHE DE L'ÉTERNAL RETOUR (1949, The Myth of the Eternal Return), an interpretation of religious symbols and imagery. Eliade was much interested in the world of the unconscious. The central theme in his novels was erotic love.

Reviews

[Carrie Marshall]

Great resource of all world religions. I read with my children, I am agnostic, and I want them to choose for theirselves what they are, not christianity because it is the norm. I want all religions that you don't have to be "born into" to be a choice for me children. I took world religion in college and was amazed at how many religions there are, and how christianity, or missionaries.

[Stephen Heverin]

The HarperCollins Concise Guide to World Religion: The A-to-Z Encyclopedia of All the Major Religious Traditions by Mircea Eliade (2000)

[Jonathan]

Loved this class first year of high school - I hope the book is as good as the class was