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Cults & World Religions
![40319: Handbook of Today"s Religions](http://ag.christianbook.com/g/thumbnail/4/40319t.gif "40319: Handbook of Today"s Religions") |
Handbook of Today's Religions
By Josh McDowell & Don Stewart / Thomas Nelson
One of the best reference books available on the religions and cults present in our time, Handbook of Today's Religions combines, for the first time, four books by Josh McDowell and Don Stewart on religions, cults, and the occult into one easy-to-use volume. The four books, which each became a section of the compilation, are: Non-Christian Religions; The Occult; Secular Religions; The Cults. Powerful individually, together the books are a powerhouse of vital information for Christians on those worldviews which challenge and attack Christianity.
In part one, McDowell and Stewart focus on cults. The define what a cult is and offer some characteristics of cults. This is then contrasted with historical, biblical Christianity. The author's also offer detailed background information about numerous cults affecting our society today, including: Hare Krishna, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormonism, Transcendental Meditation, Theosophy and others. Ministries dealing with each cult are listed, along with an extensive annotated bibliography.
Part two looks at the occult, offering information on its popularity and growth. Occultic practices ranging from astrology to hypnotism to witchcraft are explained and contrasted with biblical beliefs. This part also includes two informative appendices, one on the presence of magic and the occult in literature, and another on the authority of the believer.
The third part offers a great look at the ten most familiar and prevalent non-Christian religions in the world. In this section you will find brief, but informative, looks at Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Shintoism, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Islam, and Sikhism. The extensive annotated bibliography is a great place to start further research on each religion.
Part four looks at what McDowell and Stewart term secular religions. Though the term seems somewhat oxymoronic, the authors point out just how much each worldview in this section has in common with religions. The worldviews looked at are: atheism; agnosticism, skepticism, Marxism, secular humanism, and existentialism.
In part five, there is an essay by Norman Anderson explaining and describing a Christian approach to comparative religions, as well as a look at the four spiritual laws.
All told, this reference book offers one of the best looks (from a Christian perspective) at each of the various religions and worldviews which exist currently. Understanding what motivates adherents of each system can help us to reach out to them with the truth of Christianity.
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World Religions Made Easy
By Mark Water / Hendrickson Publishers
This full-color, 64 page book provides a brief examination of the historical and doctrinal backgrounds of the world's major religious groups. The book stresses the uniqueness of Christianity, while highlighting how it is distinguished from other world religions such as Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Confucianism. The book also examines smaller religious groups such as Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh Day Adventists, Christian Scientists, and Unitarians. It takes a glance at Roman Catholicism as well as numerous Protestant Christian groups, and concludes with a section stressing the distinctive role that Jesus Christ plays in the history of world religion. Paperback by Hendrickson.
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Christianity, Cults & Religions: Compare 17 Religions and Cults with Biblical Christianity
By Rose Publishing
Compare the beliefs of 18 world religions and cults at a glance, including Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Mormonism, Jehovah's Witnesses, Christian Science, and more! Learn what each group believes about God, Jesus, salvation, and other basic points of Christianity. Laminated pamphlet measures 5.5" x 8.5" and unfolds to 33"---ideal to keep in your Bible or briefcase. From Rose.
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Denominations Comparison Pamphlet: Compare 12 Major Denominations and Their Beliefs
By Rose Publishing
This pamphlet compares 12 Christian denominations and what they believe on different topics. Groups include: - Baptist
- Churches of Christ
- Anabaptist
- Orthodox
- Presbyterian
- Anglican
- Lutheran
- Congregational
- Adventist
- Pentecostal
- Roman Catholic
- Methodist
What do they believe about God, the Trinity, Jesus, the Scriptures, Baptism, the Lord's Supper, and salvation? This easy-to-understand pamphlet has brief, concise answers. All of these groups believe in the deity of Christ and the importance of Scripture, so what makes them different? 8.5" x 5.5" pamphlet has 12 panels and fits inside a Bible cover. Unfolds to 33".
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The Illustrated Guide to World Religions
By Edited by Dean Halverson / Bethany
These days it's nearly impossible to follow current events without a basic understanding of world religions. Offering a focus on evangelistic methods and opportunities, this expanded version of The Compact Guide to World Religions presents the origins and doctrines of Islam, Hinduism, Taoism, Secularism, New Age, and other belief systems in an all-new colorful format. 272 pages, hardcover from Bethany.
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The Compact Guide to World Religions
By Edited by Dean C. Halverson / Bethany
In today's diverse society, most Christians come face-to-face with believers in Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Judaism, Secularism, or New Age. Now, more than ever, it's important to understand these belief systems! This easy-to-use handbook presents the origins, basic beliefs, and evangelistic challenges of these and other religions. A great resource for apologetics! 272 pages, softcover from Bethany.
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![718982: So What"s the Difference? How World Faiths Compare to Christianity, Revised and Expanded](http://ag.christianbook.com/g/thumbnail/7/718982t.gif "718982: So What"s the Difference? How World Faiths Compare to Christianity, Revised and Expanded") |
So What's the Difference? How World Faiths Compare to Christianity, Revised and Expanded
By Fritz Ridenour / Gospel Light
In our postmodern world, the question "What's the difference?" is quite relevant, as it defines the nature of the postmodern mind. For the postmodern, there is no difference in worldviews, religions, ethics, etc. All are equally valid. This slippery thinking has started to creep into the church as well, with some Christians saying that there is no difference between Christianity and other religions, because they all point to the same God. Not only does this exhibit a misguided notion of the God of the Bible, it also shows an equally misguided understanding of the unique claims of other religions. Of the two, at least according to Ridenour, the first is more dangerous. We must, as Christians, understand the uniqueness of the claims made by Christ about who He is and what He came to do. That is why Ridenour first published So What's the Difference? and why he has now revised it (2001). He wants to make sure that Christians understand the worldview they are living, and the differences between that worldview and those of the primary world religions or philosophies.
In particular, Ridenour emphasizes the importance of understanding the biblical worldview that Christians hold, as seen in the various branches of Christianity (Catholicism, Protestantism, and Eastern Orthodox). He goes on to then compare the Body of Christ (defined as the true believers from among all of Christianity's branches) to the major religions of the world: Judaism, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism. Ridenour then compares Christianity to cults, new religions, and the occult, focusing on the origins of cults in general, and major cults like the Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormonism and the New Age movement. And if that were not enough, Ridenour also looks at several worldviews which undermine, challenge or attack biblical Christianity, including Bahá'í, Christian Science, Evolutionism, Freemasonry, Hare Krishna, the International Churches of Christ, Secular Humanism, Postmodernism, Unification Church (the Moonies), Unitarianism and Wicca (witchcraft, neopaganism). Thus, he is able to offer a comprehensive and compelling look at the major differences between Christianity and the top twenty worldviews of our time.
Of course, in the end, one must choose for oneself which worldview to live by. It is Ridenour's hope that readers will choose the Christian worldview after reading So What's the Difference, that they will see that no other worldview can really compete with the unique answers that Christianity provides. And for those who have already chosen Christianity, it is Ridenour's hope that they will use the information in this book to reach out to those holding other views, to reach out with the viable and livable truth of God in Christ.
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World of the Spirits: A Christian Perspective on Traditional and Folk Religions
By David Burnett / Kregel Publications
Burnett, a world-recognized authority, gives us this comprehensive overview of indigenous religions (e.g., Asian, African, and South American) as well as strange new hybrids. You'll find penetrating anthropological discussions of witchcraft, ghosts, taboos, divination, shamans, rites of passage, syncretism, and more. 287 pages, softcover. Kregel.
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