Summary
Title: The Handy Religion Answer Book
Author: James Renard
Publisher: Visible Ink Press
ISBN: 1578591252
Pro:
• Great for average readers - easy to use and to understand
• Great deal of breadth, covering wide range of religious topics
• Useful for comparing different religions on similar issues
Con:
• Short sections prevent much depth in explanations
• Short sections prevent easy flow for continuous reading
Description:
• History and Beliefs of 8 religions explained
• 100 illustrations, suggestions for further reading, and a global timeline
• Easy-to-use question & answer format with over 800 questions
Book Review
There are many books on religion - but most of those tend to be very academic in nature and tone, and when you do find one which is aimed at a general audience, it can be difficult to locate the most basic and important information. What people need is a good resource which addresses the most important aspects of religious beliefs, doctrines and history and which is aimed at a general audience rather than scholars. Fortunately, James Renard has written just such a book, aptly named The Handy Religion Answer Book.
Renard, a professor in the Department of Theological Studies at St. Louis University, covers not only specific religions from the Middle East (Judaism, Christianity, Islam), South East Asia (Buddhism, Hinduism), and East Asia (Confucianism, Taoism, Shinto), but also general issues related to the nature of religion, theology, religious philosophy, churches vs. sects, and more.
In any examination of religion and religious beliefs, it is important to find some balance between sympathy and criticism. Without sympathy, it isn't possible to adequately explain what people believe and why, especially when it comes to others' religions, which inevitably include foreign and strange doctrines. On the other hand, without a critical attitude, one ends up abandoning the ability to ask hard and probing questions.
Renard is very up front about his personal perspective, letting readers know that he was raised as a Roman Catholic and that he received his Ph.D. in Islamic Studies. In addition, he also explains that he does not regard any one religious tradition as possessing absolute religious truth:
- "I am persuaded that, as the great traditions teach in so many ways, there is an "absolute truth" that is somehow accessible to human beings honestly in quest of it. But I am equally convinced that human beings are by definition incapable of possessing that truth either exhaustively, so that any person or group can claim to have it fully; or exclusively, so that the world divides itself neatly between the "we" who own the truth and the "they" who are simply out of luck…"
- "I do believe, however, that God, or Ultimate Reality, is so much greater than any religious tradition, or all of them put together, can claim to master and dispense; and that each individual who seeks with a sincere heart the center and goal of his or her life will be led to it. Meanwhile, one of the noblest and most useful tasks we can commit ourselves to is a greater understanding of how and why people believe as they do."
Of course, this begs the question as to whether or not any such absolute truth which we can call "God" actually exists, but Renard's purpose is not to question or debate theism. It is, rather, to help people gain a better understanding of the various religious traditions which form the basis for culture and behavior around the world. This he manages to do with as little commentary as possible, although his own biases can show through in both subtle and overt ways.
