Comparative Religion

By: Charles Kimball, The Great Courses

Narrated by: Charles Kimball

Get a solid working knowledge of the spiritual beliefs that unite and divide us - as well as the perspective from the other side of these divisions. These 24 lectures offer you an opportunity to gain a solid grasp of the key ideas of religion itself - the issues that repeatedly surface when you look at any faith's beliefs, practices, and organization. Using five major religions - Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism - as illustrations of how religions can address the same core issues in parallel and different ways, Professor Kimball leads you on an exploration of religion's complex and multidimensional nature. It's an exploration that can strengthen the interpersonal understanding that underlies your daily relationships, enhance your perception of events in a diverse world, and deepen your appreciation of your own beliefs and the traditions followed by others.

Using the basics of these five major religions as a starting point - and explaining those basics so that no prior knowledge is needed - Professor Kimball plunges deeply into each to reveal and clarify the essential structural components shared by all faiths. Among the aspects of faith you compare and contrast are creation myths and sacred stories, concepts of the divine, sacred texts and spaces, and religion's ultimate goals - the reasons its adherents give them such importance.

After completing these lectures, you'll be able to "see with a native eye", as Professor Kimball puts it, when you wonder why followers of a given religion believe or act as they do.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2008 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2008 The Great Courses

Thought provoking

I enjoyed learning about the five major religions. This was a good review. It also helped me link the Jewish Muslim and Christian views. For a classroom style book this was very informative and even enjoyable

excellent synopsis and objectivity.

as a Christian I have been looking for an objective description and Analysis of all the major world religions. This seemed to fit the bill. I was very pleased with the scope and detail and attempt at fairness and objectivity which is very difficult to do in this explosive area

wealth of knowledge

Great course with information presented objectively. Lecturer clearly has deep experience in study of world regligions and also personal experience interacting with people of different faiths.

Life Changing

Excellent. Thoroughly enriching experience. I learned so much. I found myself going back over sections so as to fully absorb the wisdom.

Excellent content with a boring speaker

Is there anything you would change about this book?

A different lecturer.

Any additional comments?

The lecturer is supremely boring in spite of very interesting content. I found my mind wandering constantly unable to pay attention to the monotonous and unenthusiastic delivery of the lecturer. So many better Great Courses out there - this was really disappointing.