Atlas of the World's Religions - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0198662351 ISBN 13: 9780198662358

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 2000

Synopsis

This is a survey of the origins, development, and distribution of the world's religions. The work is organized in three major sections, opening with an assessment of the state of religion in the world at the end of the millennium, followed by a survey of the historical geography of religion, illustrating key stages in the development of world religions from the birth of religion to the end of the 20th century, bringing with it the decline of colonialism and the emergence of ideological religions, new religions, and globalization. The third and main part of the Atlas consists of 10 chapters organized by religious tradition, covering Hinduism, Buddhism, East Asian traditions, and traditions of the Pacific region, religions of the Ancient Near East and Ancient Europe, the three religions of the Book - Judaism, Christianity, and Islam - and African and North American indigenous traditions.

About this title

About the Author

Ninian Smart, Founded British First Department of Religious Studies at University of Lancaster; and J. F. Rowny Professor of Comparative Religions, University of California, Santa Barbara (Emeritus).

From Booklist

In his introduction, editor Smart correctly points out that the religions of the world "are not just products of spirituality but also of geography." Natural terrain, political climate, and the migration of peoples have all shaped the development of the world's religious traditions. Here, text, images, and maps are blended in an attempt to present the history of religions from the time of early humans to the present day.

Content elements are grouped by religious tradition (e.g., Buddhism, Islam), though in some cases a geographic arrangement is used (e.g., the Pacific, Africa). Text, images, and a historical time line introduce these major groupings, which are then subdivided into more specific topics. For example, the section on Islam has focused treatment of the history of the Shi'a as well as the rise and spread of Sufism. Two pages are given to the introductions to the major groupings and to each of the focused topics. Almost all of the maps and images are in color. The atlas includes a glossary of terms, alphabetically listed but grouped together by the aforementioned tradition or geographic region. Concluding the volume are a bibliography and a detailed index. The index is important because there are no cross-references to tell the reader that there is information on the spread of Sufism in the chapter on Africa as well as the chapter on Islam, to take one example.

Some maps are more successful than others in showing the influence of geography on the spread of religion. The map showing "the Spread of Buddhism into Southeast Asia" displays how that development paralleled existing trade routes. "The Spread of Sufism," on the other hand, indicates the general directions taken by the Sufi orders as they moved away from their place of founding but shows no trade routes or lines of communication that might help explain the spread. Neither is the text helpful. It claims that the influence of the Sufi orders traveled along main trade routes but neglects to say where the routes were. Some maps, such as those labeled "Schools of Christian Mysticism" and "Christianity and Rationalism," provide lists of names and dates but aren't very helpful in showing connections.

For readers seeking more in-depth treatment, there are a number of atlases for specific religious traditions as well as periods within a particular tradition. Two examples are Atlas of the Bible and Christianity (Baker, 1997) and An Historical Atlas of Islam (Brill, 1981). Because of the inadequacy of some of the maps and the small amount of coverage given to each topic, the Oxford atlas does not really stand on its own. Libraries with few atlases or maps that treat religious traditions might use it as an adjunct to standard reference titles such as Macmillan's Encyclopedia of Religion [RBB O 1 96].

Edition details

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 0198662351
• ISBN 13: 9780198662358
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 240
• Editor: Ninian Smart, Frederick Denny