A World of Faith

This children’s book celebrates that diversity, offering but a glimpse, a taste, an awakening, an epiphany.
Each page opens with a paragraph about a particular faith’s origins. It may be an account of a founder or a shared myth about creation. The second paragraph conveys some of the modern practices of that religious tradition, focusing on infancy, coming of age, worship, and marriage rituals.

We asked members of the faiths or religion scholars to read each page, making sure the explanations are accurate and fair to believers. This is not an academic history, though, but rather summaries in the language of that faith. We wanted kids in each group to recognize themselves and their faith in familiar words.

The religions are organized in alphabetical order and without the number of believers so as not to imply preference. We believe religions should be considered on their merits, not their masses. We have illustrated the faiths with images that are largely historical because current believers tend to dress more alike. An understanding of history is crucial to grasp both the differences and the similarities among religious traditions.