s of the articles in Arabic Sources of Tolerance and Intolerance in Islam by Ibrahim Kalin Healing Interreligious Relationships by Leo Lefebure Disagreeing to Agree: A Christian Response to A Common Word by James Cutsinger Religious Diversity and Harmonious Living: The Indian Story and Challenge by Michael Amaladoss Jews and Muslims: Why They Have More in Common than They Realize by Robert Eise...

The purpose of this paper is to consider some of the ways in which the scientific study of religions might have implications for the continuing process of dialogue between religions. While the study of religions itself is a non-religious activity, the dialogue between religions, on the other hand, certainly is in some sense a religious activity. It involves the presentation and exchange of reli...

Moralizing religions, unlike religions with morally indifferent gods or spirits, appeared only recently in some (but not all) large-scale human societies. A crucial feature of these new religions is their emphasis on proportionality (between deeds and supernatural rewards, between sins and penance, and in the formulation of the Golden Rule, according to which one should treat others as one woul...

Sometime ago, I was listening to a radio program about people celebrating the winter's solstice. One of the people interviewed on the program talked about the celebrations of Druids in ancient England. Druids attached religious significance to many things, among them the shortest day of the year, evergreen trees, and mistletoe. As part of the solstice celebrations, Druids were believed to have ...

Religion occupies a central place in all speculations, ancient or modern, East or West. Religions of the world are a great driving force in imparting guidance and inspiration to human beings in general. The essence of all religions is the attainment of self-happiness. When the essence of all religions in the world is strung together in understanding and mutual acceptance, then it will create a ...

Religion is as old as mankind. Primitive man had primitive religions and he worshipped the elements of nature like sun, earth, air, cloud, water etc. Advances in civilisation led to institutionalised religions. The basic characteristics of all religions are similar. There is firm belief in a higher, unseen controlling power. Religion appears to be a psychological necessity for mankind. However,...

A religion usually is defined as a collection of beliefs about God and his relation with the universe and individual persons. There are many religions in the world, but I will deal only with the major world religions, which include Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The beliefs of these religions are documented in certain books, which are considered to be sacred and used for ...

define, because compared to others it is both unique and contentious. Although the movement is relatively new it only became known in the West in 1970s it is firmly rooted in some of the world's oldest religions, philosophies and practices, including Hinduism, Wicca, Druidism, the worship of goddesses and nature, spiritism, spiritualism, Gnosticism, humanism, ancient Egyptian and Babylonian rel...

The word spirit with a small "s", has many meanings. It may mean 1) one of the elements in man which is considered as separable from the flesh and animating the body; or, 2)a person, from the moral, emotional or-intellectual point of view; or, 3) a person's disposition, permanent or temporary mental attitude, or, predominance of the spirit over the flesh especially as manifested in courage, ene...

Research into human development involves the use of human embryos and their derivative cells and tissues. How religions view the human embryo depends on beliefs about ensoulment and the inception of personhood, and science can neither prove nor refute the teaching of those religions that consider the zygote to be a human person with an immortal soul. This Spotlight article discusses some of the...