Religions of the World: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Beliefs and Practices

From the Aboriginal Cult of Maria Lionza in Venezuela to Zionist and Apostolic churches in South Africa and Zimbabwe, Religions of the World is the only comprehensive compilation of the world's existing major religious communities. This extraordinary four-volume survey examines the religious history and key religious communities in all 240 recognized nations and territories. More than 200 international experts contributed the 1,200+ entries covering each group's origin, history, organization, ecumenical contacts, and present status.

Other entries focus on individual countries, surveying the current state of religious practice, supported by statistical data from leading religious statisticians David B. Barrett and Todd M. Johnson. The volumes place African independent churches, Japanese new religions, and surviving indigenous beliefs alongside Catholicism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Illustrated and indexed, and including cross-references and end-of-entry bibliographic citations, this remarkable set is destined to become the primary reference source on religious issues throughout the world.

J. Gordon Melton is director of the Institute for the Study of American Religion in Santa Barbara, CA.

Martin Baumann is a professional editor, professor of the history of religions at the University of Lucerne, Lucerne, Switzerland, and research fellow at the University of Hannover, Hannover, Germany.