Reference: Religion

From Christian Science and the Jehovah's Witnesses to Soka Gakkai, Wicca, and Falun Gong, the last century and a half has seen an unprecedented growth of new religious movements, sects, and alternative spiritualities. New Religions offers an authoritative and lavishly illustrated guide to more than two hundred of these wildly varied groups and movements.
1) The volume is organized according to a method of classification, which associates movements, sects, and spiritualities with the religious traditions from which they arose. Rastafarianism, for example, is shown to have its roots in Christianity, while Bahai is an offshoot of Islam.
2) Included are both long-established groups like the Seventh-Day Adventists and the Hutterites and more recent movements like Santeria, the UnificationChurch, and ISKCON (the "Hare Krishnas").
3) In addition to Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Zoroastrianism, Indian Religions, and the Religions of East Asia, sections are devoted to movements and groups inspired by Indigenous and Pagan Traditions, and by Western Esoteric and New Age Traditions.
4) Particularly fascinating is the discussion of the religious offspring of Modern Western Culture, including Scientology, UFO-based groups (such as the Raelians), and even the worship of celebrities like Elvis and Princess Diana.
5) Each entry clearly and concisely explains the history, beliefs and practices, and status in the world today of the movement or group in question.
6) Special entries highlight broad topics such as New Religions in China as well as intriguing subjects such as Cargo Cults, Martial Arts, Astrology, and Feng Shui.

The 12th edition of the Handbook of Denominations attempts to portray some of the depth and breadth of the major religious traditions in the United States. The religious bodies are grouped in family categories of Abrahamic religions, arranged chronologically: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
1)The information for each group within these families was provided by the religious organizations themselves and focuses on the doctrines, statistics, and histories of institutions.
2) Such information is valuable for making sense of our culture and our neighbors, although much of the inner life of each denomination is not part of such a presentation.
3) This handbook is a helpful resource for clergy, laity, journalists, and the curious who want to know more about the many facets of religious tradition in the United States.

For more than 60,000 years, people have worshipped deities of the sun, sky and sea, as well as creator gods.
1) This book provides access to more than 2,500 of these religious figures, from ancient Sumerian gods through to the modern Haitian deities.
2) New features include cross-references and comprehensive indexes.

This 3-volume set is a comprehensive and richly illustrated Bible dictionary.
1) Each volume is filled with pictures, maps, charts, and diagrams, with much in color.
2) This dictionary is based on the Revised Standard Version of the Bible.

These companion volumes presents over 500 religious creeds, confessions, statements of faith, summaries of belief and articles of religion associated with the many branches of Christian, Jewish, Islamic, Hindu, and other religions practiced in America.

A comprehensive study of the major religious groups in the United States.

This book covers a broad spectrum of words, terms, phrases, and names used in Christian churches, worship, faith, and history. The definitions often point up the differences in understanding between Catholic and Protestant or between popular and exact usages of the term.

This contains 550 biographical profiles of the most significant American religious leaders.
1) Each profile contains a capsule summary of the figure's life, followed by a discussion of the historical context of the figure's contribution and a bibliography of works by and about the individual.
2) Appendices categorize the figures by religious denomination and place of birth.
3) The dictionary contains entries for individuals who died before July 1, 1992.
4) The entries reflect America's cultural and religious diversity.

Covers Egypt, Greece, Rome, Northern, and Central Europe, the Celtic Realm, and Animals and Plants.

The Holy Scriptures in the King James and Revised Standard versions with general articles and introduction, exegesis, and exposition for each book of the Bible, in 12 volumes.

Vol. I covers from the Apostolic Community to Constantine. Vol. II covers The Imperial Church from Constantine to the Early Middle Ages. Translated from German.

"The Book of Mormon" is a sacred text of the Latter Day Saint movement, which, according to Latter Day Saint theology, contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from approximately 2200 BC to AD 421.
1) It was first published in March 1830 by Joseph Smith as "The Book of Mormon: An Account Written by the Hand of Mormon upon Plates Taken from the Plates of Nephi."
2) The Book of Mormon is the earliest of the unique writings of the Latter Day Saint movement, the denominations of which typically regard the text primarily as scripture, and secondarily as a historical record of God's dealings with the ancient inhabitants of the Americas.

A comprehensive reference guide to ancient and prehistoric legend, exploring the folklore and mythology of every nation and civilization.

It covers Egypt, Greece, Rome, Northern, and Central Europe, the Celtic Realm, and Animals and Plants.