World Religions in Practice

World Religions in Practice introduces five of the world's great religions – Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam – and explores how they are lived and expressed in custom, ritual, and symbol. A major new textbook exploring the world's great religions through their customs, rituals and everyday practices – by focusing on this 'lived experience' it goes beyond many traditional introductions to religious studies Adopts a directly comparative approach to develop a greater understanding of the nature of religion Each chapter engages with an individual theme, such as birth, death, food, pilgrimage and ethics, to illustrate how religious practices are expressed Broadens students' understanding by offering an impartial discussion of the similarities and differences between each religion Includes chapter-by-chapter opening themes and summaries, and will be accompanied by a website at www.blackwellpublishing.com/gwynne featuring additional resources and study questions.

List of Boxes and Tables x List of Figures xii Note on Scriptural References xiv Acknowledgements xv Introduction 1 Part 1 Beyond Time and Space 25 1 IMAGE 27 The Second Commandment (Judaism) 28 Shirk (Islam) 32 Incarnate Son (Christianity) 37 Murti (Hinduism) 42 The Three Bodies (Buddhism) 46 Summary 50 2 BOOK 56 Shruti and Smriti (Hinduism) 57 The Three Baskets (Buddhism) 61 New Testament (Christianity) 65 Tanach (Judaism) 70 Qur’an (Islam) 74 Summary 79 Part II Within Time and Space 85 3 ETHICS 87 Dharma (Hinduism 88 Pancasila (Buddhism) 92 The Ten Words (Judaism) 96 A New Commandment (Christianity) 100 The Greater Jihad (Islam) 104 Summary 109 4 BIRTH 114 Baptism (Christianity) 115 B’rit Milah (Judaism) 119 Aqiqah (Islam) 124 Birth Samskaras (Hinduism) 127 The Buddhist Exception (Buddhism) 131 Summary 134 5 DEATH 140 The Wheel of Rebirth (Buddhism) 141 The Last Sacrifice (Hinduism) 145 Resurrection of the Body (Judaism) 149 Salat al-Jenazah (Islam) 154 First Fruits (Christianity) 159 Summary 164 6 MARRIAGE 172 Nikah (Islam) 173 Under the Huppah (Judaism) 177 Householder and Forest-Dweller (Hinduism) 182 Bride of Christ (Christianity) 187 The Renunciation (Buddhism) 193 Summary 196 7 FOOD 204 Ahimsa and Samadhi (Buddhism) 205 Blessed Leftovers (Hinduism) 209 Bread and Wine (Christianity) 214 Kosher (Judaism) 218 Halal (Islam) 222 Summary 226 8 CLOTHING 233 The Veil of Modesty (Islam) 234 Kippah, Tefillin, and Tallit (Judaism) 238 The Thread and the Mark (Hinduism) 244 Vestments and Habits (Christianity) 248 The Three Robes (Buddhism) 253 Summary 256 Part III time and Space 261 9 DAY 263 Uposatha (Buddhism) 264 Tithi (Hinduism) 266 Sabbath (Judaism) 270 The Lord’s Day (Christianity) 275 Salat (Islam) 279 Summary 282 10 YEAR 288 Four Seasons (Christianity) 289 Full Moons and Monsoons (Buddhism) 295 Day of Brahma (Hinduism) 299 Harvests, History, and High Holy Days (Judaism) 305 Lunar Year (Islam) 311 Summary 316 11 BUILDING 321 Mosque (Islam) 322 Synagogue (Judaism) 327 Church (Christianity) 330 Mandir (Hinduism) 334 Temple Complex (Buddhism) 338 Summary 342 12 JOURNEY 349 The Sacred Ford (Hinduism) 350 Traces of Tathagata (Buddhism) 355 The Quest of the Magi (Christianity) 360 Aliyah (Judaism) 365 Hajj (Islam) 369 Summary 374 Conclusion 380 Glossary 385 Select Bibliography 402 Index 410