"Life exists only at this very moment, and in this moment it is infinite and eternal. For the present moment is infinitely small; before we can measure it, it has gone, and yet it exists forever. ... You may believe yourself out of harmony with life and its eternal Now; but you cannot be, for you are life and exist Now." In this collection of writings, including nine new chapters never before available in book form, Watts displays the intelligence,...

In this exploration of secular America, journalist Katherine Ozment takes readers on a quest to understand the trends and ramifications of a nation in flight from organized religion. Studies show that religion makes us happier, healthier and more giving, connecting us to our past and creating tight communal bonds. Most Americans are raised in a religious tradition, but in recent decades many have begun to leave religion, and with it their ancient...

A preeminent scientist asserts the irrationality of belief in God and the grievous harm religion has inflicted on society from the Crusades to 9/11. He critiques God in all his forms, from the sex-obsessed tyrant of the Old Testament to the more benign (but still illogical) Celestial Watchmaker favored by some Enlightenment thinkers. He eviscerates the major arguments for religion and demonstrates the supreme improbability of a supreme being. He shows...

Part of the author's magisterial survey of the beliefs of the East, this 1872 volume on the religion, life, and philosophy of India is the result to twenty years of study. Johnson thoughtfully discusses Hinduism, Buddhism, ethics, Nirvana, hymns, traditions, the role of women, piety, morality, transmigration, incarnation, and more.

Moving far beyond the realm of traditional "church history," Patrick Allitt here offers a vigorous and erudite survey of the broad canvas of American religion since World War II. Identifying the major trends and telling moments within major denominations and also in less formal religious movements, he asks how these religious groups have shaped, and been shaped by, some of the most important and divisive issues and events of the last half century:

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American Grace takes its findings from two of the largest, most comprehensive surveys ever conducted on religion and public life in America, plus in-depth studies of diverse congregations-among them a megachurch, a Mormon congregation, a Catholic parish, a reform Jewish synagogue, and an African American congregation. From abortion to gay marriage to feminism, this book shows how religion has influenced politics in America-and vice versa. The discoveries...

Venerated for millennia by three faiths, torn by irreconcilable conflict, conquered, rebuilt, and mourned for again and again, Jerusalem is a sacred city whose very sacredness has engendered terrible tragedy. In this fascinating volume, Karen Armstrong, author of the highly praised A History of God, traces the history of how Jews, Christians, and Muslims have all laid claim to Jerusalem as their holy place, and how three radically different concepts...

Joseph M. Kitagawa is Professor Emeritus of the University of Chicago Divinity School and of the Department of Far Eastern Languages and Civilizations there: he is also a former Dean of the Divinity School. Joseph Kitagawa, one of the founders of the field of history of religions and an eminent scholar of the religions of Japan, published his classic book Religion in Japanese History in 1966. Since then, he has written a number of extremely influential...

"The Varieties of Religious Experience is a generous and endlessly insightful book about human nature." - The New York Times "The most notable of all books in the field of the psychology of religion and probably destined to be the most influential book written on religion in the 20th century." - Psychology today Published in 1902 and quickly established itself as a classic, this book is a work that opens a new era of thinking. The study made by...

With nine out of ten Canadians claiming a religious affiliation of some kind - Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Islamic, Hindu, Buddhist, Aboriginal, or one of dozens of other religions - faith has huge impact on our personal and social lives. In this book, Robert Choquette offers a comprehensive history of religion in Canada and examines the ongoing tug-of-war between modernity and conservatism within the religious traditions themselves.