The scholar Huston Smith calls the world religions "data banks that house the winnowed wisdom of the human race." This handy volume by Mircea Eliade, the founder of the modern study of the history of religions, and Ioan P. Couliano, contains an overview of 33 of them. It is based on his 3-volume History of Religious Ideas and his 16-volume Encyclopedia of Religion.
Bradley Holt once said, "In our thirst for God, we need not all drink from the same kind of cup, glass, or goblet." On these pages you will find descriptions of the leading figures, essential teachings, histories, sacred texts and mythologies of African religions, Australian religions, mystery religions, shamanism, and others, along with the more well-known traditions. Here you will find insights into the demythologization of Chinese beliefs in Confucianism, the seven stations of Sufism, a discussion of dualistic religions, and a look at the importance of "kami" in Shinto. The book concludes with a micro-dictionary of key religious leaders, sacred books, and spiritual themes.