This book, cosponsored by the SLOC Interfaith Roundtable, introduces the remarkable and diverse world of faith to a new generation. It is meant to be a glimpse, a taste, an awakening. Each page opens with a story that tells about the origins of a particular religion or denomination.

There are 100,000 Baha'is in the United States, about five million worldwide including a significant population in Iran, their country of origin. They are also the most persecuted minority in Iran, where they are accused of being heretics by the Shi'i establishment.

JEFFERY E. SELLS, EDITOR Hardback. 384 Pages. / 1-56085-183-X/ $34.95 The consensus is that Utah is a theocracy. From there, opinions diverge as to whether, for instance, the religious influence in Utah indicates a healthy regional democracy (the Founding Fathers’ intent) or whether, especially for those not of the dominant church, Utah presents (1) minor

When Bhaktivedanta arrived in America, it was a bold step because historically a guru who ventured outside of India was stripped of his Brahman status. However, the effort bore fruit—not the least of which was the type of intercultural understanding promoted by the current authors through their study of ISKCON's place within the religion and culture of India.

Authentic religious experience includes both meditation and celebration, according to the twentieth-century Indian guru Osho Rajneesh (1931-90). Blending Tantra, Zen, and Western psychotherapy into his teachings, Osho produced incisive commentaries on religious mysticism and devised unique, "active meditation" that elicited emotional catharsis.

Why is Soka Gakkai one of the fastest-growing religions in the world today? Founded in post-World War II Japan, this Buddhist movement claims upwards of 15 million members, including more than a half million in North and South America. It sponsors two universities in the United States.

The Children of God emerged out of the hippie movement of the 1960s, and through the 1980s they came to blend Christianity with sexual freedom, communal living, and a rejection of materialism and "the system." The Children, or "the Family" as they are now called, modified their behavior in the 1990s in the wake of several child sexual abuse charges (all dismissed) and the need for direction among the...

L. Ron Hubbard—best-selling science fiction writer, former naval officer, and people's philosopher—did not initially intend to found a new religion. But neither did he object when followers organized a church based on his teachings. The resulting movement has attracted millions of adherents from around the globe.

As the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints increasingly engages the scrutiny of the world, many Mormons find support for their beliefs in the works of B. H. Roberts (1857-1933), who in his lifetime was affectionately known as "defender of the faith." Interest in Roberts's life and thought waned somewhat following his death, but in the last thirty years, perhaps due in part to the recognition of the...

McMurrin might have written more on Mormon thought at the time, but his life was soon consumed by larger issues. He spent five months during the winter of 1958 as an official envoy and educational advisor from U. S. president Dwight D. Eisenhower's State Department to the government of Iran. Shortly after his return to the United States, McMurrin accepted appointment as vice president for academic affairs at the...