This excellent resource on the rituals, beliefs, and practices of ancient and modern religions is perfect for families. There are over 1,000 entries and 700 full-color illustrations making it a very user-friendly manual. It has been assembled by Philip Wilkinson, an Oxford graduate, and developed in consultation with the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at the Roehampton Institute in London, England.
The dictionary begins with the ancient religions of Egypt, Western Asia, Greece and Rome, Norse and Celtic. It then looks at primal religions before moving on to Hinduism, Jainism and Sikhism, Buddhism, Chinese and Japanese religions, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and the new religions (Baha'ism, Mormonism, Rastafarianism, and others). Each chapter includes material on key places of worship, sacred writings, festivals and holy days, rites of passage, and fundamental beliefs.
Here are some examples of information gleaned from The Illustrated Dictionary of Religions. The Celts often worshipped in special places — by a tree, lake, spring, or on a hillside associated with their gods. Tantric Hindus use "yantras" — diagrams drawn on the ground, on stone, or on cloth — to form a focus for meditation. A shared vegetarian meal, or "langar" is an important element in Sikh worship. The physical remains of Buddhist lamas are turned to ash mixed with clay, which is then made into a tablet that is preserved and revered.