Introducing World Religions: A Christian Engagement.
Obenchain, Diane B.
Introducing World Religions: A Christian Engagement
By Charles E. Farhadian. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2015. Pp.
xxiv, 600. $49.99.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
At last Christians have a world religions textbook that does what
this kind of textbook should do for Christians (or anyone): (1) offer a
balanced, holistic, cross-cultural presentation of what the modern term
"religion" means to those who use it, along with some semantic
history; (2) provide multidiscipline perspectives (psychological,
sociological, anthropological, historical, environmental, economic,
phenomenological) for understanding religion, with exemplary scholars
and history for the approach of each discipline; (3) emphasize the
persistence of indigenous/primal religion, in contrast with that of
religion that travels the world (as people travel the world); (4) survey
both synchronically and diachronically the major religious traditions of
the world, highlighting their main discernments, practices, and
movements and including well-chosen lists of key terms and timelines;
(5) include excerpts of important scriptures that serve student learning
exceptionally well; (6) deliver brilliant photographs, maps, and other
images that enable the author's prose to come alive; and (7) cover
religious traditions of China and Japan in ways authors of similar
textbooks have not.
And I have not yet begun to describe what I like best about
Farhadian's book! What particularly delights this reader, along
with what is listed above, is his starting each chapter with "a
contemporary snapshot," his explaining the source of the Western
name of a particular world religion, along with the tradition's own
name for itself, and finally his critical reflections on how and for
what purpose Christians can engage respectfully and empathetically with
those of another faith tradition. Decisive also are Farhadian's
wisely selected quotations from contemporary leaders, theologians, and
missiologists. New religious movements also receive their due here. To
finish it off, Farhadian's textbook supplies ample notes, a
bibliography, an excellent glossary of terms, and, for readers and
teachers, substantial web material through Baker Academic Textbook
eSources. Everything a Christian reader or student needs is here!
Farhadian, professor of world religions and Christian mission at
Westmont College in Santa Barbara, CA, is an experienced fieldworker in
Southeast Asia and the Pacific, with a focus on Islam. He is also a
seasoned Christian liberal arts teacher, having taught at Calvin College
prior to his move to Westmont College. As editor or coeditor of
Introducing World Christianity; Christian Worship Worldwide: Expanding
Horizons, Deepening Practices; The Oxford Handbook of Religious
Conversion; and a forthcoming volume "Ring of Fire: Popular
Christian Movements in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore,"
Farhadian consistently asks Christians to address challenging themes of
contextualized Christianity. For offering us the best of his scholarship
in anthropology of religion, missiology, history of Christian mission,
and world Christianity, Farhadian is to be congratulated and thanked.
This excellent textbook, with its clear and helpful instruction, is a
great gift. It belongs in every Christian teacher's hands and
classroom in this era of globally interactive people of faith.
DOI: 10.1177/2396939316657938
Reviewed by: Diane B. Obenchain Fuller Theological Seminary,
Pasadena, CA
Reviewer biography
Diane B. Obenchain is professor of religion and director of the
China Initiative at Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, California.
--dbobenchain@fuller.edu
