The Encyclopedia of World Religions (Facts on File Library of Religion and Mythology)

Praise for the previous edition:
"...unbiased and succinct...this is a fine ready-reference."—School Library Journal

"...an invaluable tool for any middle school or high school library...Highly recommended."—The Book Report

The Encyclopedia of World Religions, Revised Edition provides young adults with reliable, unbiased, and easy-to-use information on the world's religions, from ancient times to the present day. In about 600 entries—with 115 new to this edition&151this revised edition covers all the major and minor religions of the world, including the religions of the ancient world; the major religions practiced around the world today; religions of contemporary indigenous peoples; definitions of religious symbols and ideas; key leaders and thinkers; and terms and definitions.

The new entries and photographs broaden the encyclopedia's representation of current world events and the impact of those events on the world's religions. The book also covers religious fundamentalism—especially within Islam, Christianity, and Hinduism—and documents the burgeoning new religious movements in Latin America, Africa, East Asia, and the United States. All major entries now come with suggestions for further reading.

New entries include:

• Al-Qaeda
• Apocrypha
• Biblical prophets
• Christianity fundamentalism
• Christianity in Latin America, Asia, and Africa
• Fundamentalism (general)
• Hamas
• Hebrew scriptures
• Hindu fundamentalism
• Independent Christianity
• Islamic fundamentalism
• Modern paganism
• New Age movement
• New religious movements in Africa
• New religious movements in Brazil
• New Testament
• Politics and religion
• UFO religions (e.g., Heaven's Gate).

Grade 9 Up—Ellwood's wide-ranging, accessible, alphabetically arranged volume includes historical, comparative, and theoretical entries, many covering societal aspects of religion. The further-reading list has been updated, and there are new entries on fundamentalisms, al-Qaeda, Hamas, religion and politics, and more. The inadequate number of illustrations is a weakness, as are the lack of entries on Wahhabism or Falun Gong (though the latter is mentioned briefly in "religions of China"); an outdated statistic on Zoroastrians; and the absurd claim that Roman Catholic statues are "worshipped with adoration." Jones's multivolume set also has many strong points, including pronunciation help, clear expression, informative sidebars, research and activities ideas, and discussion questions. However, its arrangement is confusing, and there is some repetition. Coverage includes 18 major and minor religions and philosophies. Religious influence is presented as entirely positive. Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, and other notables are not among those profiled. The index lacks entries for Mithras, Falun Gong, the Unification Church, and more. The black-and-white photos are undated, and some primary sources are poorly translated. Among the relatively few errors are conflicting dates for Genesis. Neither of these sets illuminates the current religious climate in any given country. Though Ellwood's work is exceptional in parts, John Bowker's The Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (1997; o.p.) and the Macmillan Dictionary of Religion (1994) have many more entries, and Bowker's World Religions (DK, 2006) and Elizabeth Breuilly's Religions of the World (Facts On File, 1997) are more visually appealing.—Patricia D. Lothrop, St. George's School, Newport, RI
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