Ideal for courses in Asian/Eastern religions and world religions, Religions of Asia Today covers the same material as the second half of the authors' longer textbook, World Religions Today, Third Edition, while also featuring a unique chapter on Islam in Asia. Revealing the significance of religion in contemporary life, Religions of Asia Today explores major religious traditions—Hinduism, Buddhism, East Asian Religions, Islam in Asia, indigenous religions, and new religions—as dynamic, ongoing forces in the lives of individuals and in the collective experience of modern societies. This unique volume accomplishes two goals; it connects today's religions to their classical beliefs and practices while also focusing on how these religions have responded to and been transformed by the modern world. The authors combine thorough coverage of the historical background of each religion with up-to-the-minute discussions of its current practices. Each chapter includes an "Encounter with Modernity" section that illustrates the tension between premodern views and modernity. The text is enhanced by numerous pedagogical aids—timelines, maps, illustrations, discussion questions, and a comprehensive glossary of key terms—and more than 100 illustrations and photographs. It also incorporates "Tales of Spiritual Transformation" boxes—which relate the stories of people whose lives have been changed by religious faith—and "Teachings of Religious Wisdom" boxes, which introduce primary source material. Religions of Asia Today emphasizes the interconnectedness of faith, culture, politics, and society, providing a peerless examination of the diverse ways in which contemporary human beings are religious. An Instructor's Manual and a Companion Website at www.oup.com/us/esposito provide resources for both students and instructors. Also available to suit your course World Religions Today, Third Edition (978-0-19-536563-4) Religions of the West Today (978-0-19-537361-5)
Author
He is a professor of International Affairs and Islamic Studies at Georgetown University. He is also the director of the Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal center for Muslim-Christian understanding at Georgetown University. Esposito was raised a Roman Catholic in an Italian neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York City, and spent a decade in a Catholic monastery. After taking his first degree he worked as a management consultant and high-school teacher. He then studied and received a masters in theology at St. John's University. He earned a PhD at Temple University, Pennsylvania in 1974, studying Islam and held post doc appointments at Harvard and Oxford. He is well-known as a promoter of strong ties between Muslims and Christians and has challenged the Vatican to make greater efforts to encourage such ties. A specialist in Islam, political Islam, and the impact of Islamic movements from North Africa to Southeast Asia, Dr. Esposito serves as a consultant to the Department of State as well as multinational corporations, governments, universities, and the media worldwide. In 2005, Professor Esposito won the American Academy of Religion's prestigious Martin E. Marty Award for the Public Understanding of Religion. This award honors a scholar who has been exemplary in promoting the public understanding of religion. A prolific writer, Professor Esposito is the author of over 25 books, including What Everyone Needs to Know About Islam, The Islamic Threat: Myth or Reality?, and Unholy War: Terror in the Name of Islam. He is also the Editor-in-Chief of The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Modern Islamic World, The Oxford History of Islam, and The Oxford Dictionary of Islam.
