From Extremism to Tolerance: Understanding the World's Many Religions

Rather than provide an encyclopedic account of the world's theistic, non-theistic and atheistic religions and traditions, comparing and contrasting them, or even detailing the essential facts concerning them, this book instructs on the theory and methodology of translation and interpretation - not only of the written word, but of ritual and belief.

Beginning with an ambitious exploration of the word of "God" in the world's theistic, atheistic and non-theistic practices, the rituals of "prayer" and "sacrifice" are placed in proper context through guided practice in several theistic, non-theistic and atheistic traditions.

This introduces dogma, creed, and the debatable differences in religious authority - to raise the necessary question why religions evolve both to become more authoritarian and extreme in their belief and practice, and also why some become more tolerant of difference, and different faiths.

Ethics and morality are in this way framed as applications of logic, and the impact of a person practicing monotheism, polytheism, non-theism and atheism - and the impact of a systemized practice of ethics and morality in the evolution of a religion, to cult and eventually a culture is understood. Both globally, and locally, in our society - to lend relevance and meaning to that very crisis we face today.

Questioning the fundamental nature of our own faith and role in society, our very culture, we may conclude that improvement is possible, and perhaps come to understand for ourselves the importance of tolerance to the vitality of our own personal practice.

Contains excerpts from religious texts around the world and through the ages, as well as guided practice