Neighboring Faiths: A Christian Introduction to World Religions

by Winfried Corduan

Overview

World religions are not merely abstract sets of doctrinal beliefs. They are embodied worldviews and practices lived out by real people around us. Encounters with these neighboring faiths often challenge our own beliefs and traditions, making us think more deeply about our faith commitments.

For all who want to understand the religious faiths of their neighbors, Winfried Corduan offers an introduction to the religions of the world. This classic text covers major as well as lesser known religions, including Judaism, Islam, Zoroastrianism, African traditional religions, Native American religion, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Baha'i, Chinese popular religion, and Shinto and Japanese religions.

Neighboring Faiths emphasizes not just formal religious teachings but also how each religion is practiced in daily life. Dozens of photographs, charts, and maps help illustrate how the faiths have developed and how they're lived out today. Corduan offers specific insights into what to expect from encounters with adherents of each religion and suggestions for how Christians can engage them in constructive dialogue. Each chapter offers lists of key points, ideas for term papers, and recommended resources to help students, instructors, and small groups go deeper.This third edition has been updated and revised throughout. The chapter on militant Islam is significantly revised to address more recent events and issues, and questions for reflection and discussion have been added to each chapter.

Neighboring Faiths is an indispensable guide for Christians seeking an informed, empathetic perspective on different religions and the people who practice them.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781514002711
Publisher:	InterVarsity Press
Publication date:	04/30/2024
Edition description:	Revised, Third Edition
Pages:	552
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 1.50(d)

About the Author

Winfried Corduan (PhD, Rice University) is professor emeritus of philosophy and religion at Taylor University. He has led many undergraduate tours focusing on the lived religious traditions of various parts of the world. He is the author of several books, including Reasonable Faith: Basic Christian Apologetics, A Tapestry of Faiths, and Pocket Guide to World Religions.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments for the Third Edition
Introduction

1. Religion: Study and Practice
2. Judaism
3. Islam, Part 1: Basics and Issues
4. Islam, Part 2: Understanding Radical and Divergent Islam
5. Baha'i
6. Zoroastrianism
7. Traditional Religions: Introduction and African Religions
8. Native American Religions
9. Hinduism
10. Buddhism
11. Jainism
12. Sikhism
13. Chinese Popular Religion
14. Shinto and Japanese Religions

Notes
Figure Credits
General Index

Editorial Reviews

"Winfried Corduan's Neighboring Faiths is an exceptional book in its category. His discussion of the subject is insightful, unique, and fair, offering a perspective not commonly observed in Christian books on world religions. Competently and sympathetically he examines the complex landscapes of human beliefs and traditions while contending for the truth of the biblical faith. As a convert from a Chinese religious background, I'm impressed by how accurately the oft-misrepresented Chinese popular religion is treated. A valuable resource for both beginners and scholars, there is no other book I would recommend for a greater understanding of the world's religions from a Christian perspective."

I'Ching Thomas

"Anyone interested in learning more about world religions and faith will find this book useful—especially in the realm of engagement and understanding. Winfried Corduan guides his readers through the basics of the core religions while admitting the limitations of the text—that is, what we can learn from reading. But really, we learn through knowing others and asking them questions about what they believe and why. Corduan helps the reader realize how much simple conversation (and a genuine willingness to listen and learn) can transcend barriers."

Lindsey Medenwaldt

"Neighboring Faiths is the best Christian introduction to the world's religions available today. And given that the Western world is now a truly global society with all the religions present, it is imperative that Christians have a basic knowledge of the religions of the world. While Winfried Corduan is deeply committed to the unique truth of historic Christianity and evaluates the different religions from a Christian perspective, he nevertheless treats each religion with fairness, respect, and empathy. There is no better book to read and study on this critical topic than Corduan's work. Every school, church, and personal library should have this book."

Kenneth Samples

"I commend Winfried Corduan for bringing out a third edition of this clear, thorough, and fair textbook on world religions. I have used the previous two editions for graduate courses and would use this one as well, given its multidimensional analysis of world religions from a Christian perspective. Bravo!"

Douglas Groothuis

"First-class scholar Win Corduan has taken a complex and often-confusing topic with multitudes of variables and has dispassionately explicated the details. In a field of study that is too often misrepresented, Win's text brings to the fore actual facts that will quell misunderstandings and help people lead adherents of these religions to Christ. The sheer breadth and detail of Win's coverage of his topic is incredible. Neighboring Faiths is a treasure trove that should be required reading for every Christian student. It will be a primary reference tool for years to come."

Rick Walston

"My graduate professor used a previous edition for our class on world religions. Since then, it has been my go-to text on the topic. Corduan's expertise shines through in this volume. It is not only informative but also clear and interesting. Christians and non-Christians alike can benefit from the wealth of knowledge provided here."

J. Brian Huffling

"Win Corduan is a master of gracious interaction and intellectual honesty, both of which combine to form Neighboring Faiths. I am grateful for the richness of this book's insights, and even more for the neighborliness it models."

Daniel McCoy

"[E]ncourage[s] empathetic understanding of non-Christian faiths, as well as informed and respectful interreligious dialogue, while firmly embracing a commitment to Christian belief that resists relativistic or homogenizing forms of pluralism."

Christian Scholar's Review

"Neighboring Faiths commends itself for use in many contexts. . . . His book builds on his years of classroom teaching on the subject and of leading students on study tours to encounter people's lived religion in various parts of the world. That all bears fruit in this engaging volume."

Missiology

"Corduan's work has a number of strengths that make it an excellent textbook. First, he lays out the major points of a given religion in a way that is concise and easily readable without being simplistic. . . . Second, the writer repeatedly emphasizes the distinction between an official version of a given religion and its often widely divergent daily practice . . . Third, in a field of academic study frequently compromised by Christian writers, this work is firmly evangelical without being aggressive or polemic. . . . Neighboring Faiths is the finest work on world religions available on the market today."

Bibliotheca Sacra

"A fine summary of what people of other religions believe and practise."

Themelios