Huston Smith’s “The Worlds’ Religions” in perhaps the most compelling book on religion. It documents a comprehensive analysis of the most significant religions of the world. The book is a best seller in its niche having sold over two million copies. However, Smith does not create room for an in-depth exploration of the world’s religion but instead engages each religion separately. The book documents an objective look into the seven major religions of the world; Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Judaism, Hinduism, Confucianism, and one chapter on primal religion. The investigation into each religion sheds some light on the distinct cultural contexts through which religious contexts were initiated. Smith uses simple language, and the book is written in a standard textbook format that can be easily understood by all readers. The author asserts that the book is not one of the comparative religions but rather an objective look of the world’s religion today as a way to enlighten people about their religious beliefs and those of others.
The book remains preeminently a literary marvel for world religions and the textbook for many institutions studying comparative religions. In the beginning chapters, the author describes his journey through the prominent religions of the world. The context of the chapter gives an overview of the ultimate question people in the past used to ask. Where are we? Why are we here? What are we supposed to do? The author describes that people would look to sacred texts and implore answers from religious scripts. However, with the onset of modern science, people turned away from sacred scripts to look for answers in science. The move is understandable as science conducts-controlled experiments and based its information on facts rather than theoretical concepts and reliance on intuition.
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The book’s longest chapter documents the various facets of Hinduism. The religion is described as polytheistic which is the belief in multiple gods. Islam, Judaism, and Christianity are monotheistic and believe in the existence of one supreme being who is the creator of the universe. Buddhists believe on one supreme being named Buddha or “the awakened one.” The primal religions, Taoism, and Confucianism focus on the practical aspects of life. They are, however, not non-theistic and make oblique references to the concept of a supreme being. The world religions are seen as having unique and distinct perceptions of God.
Smith also digs deeper into religion to elaborate on the principles that characterize each significant world religion. Buddhism emphasizes the principle of meditation sound morality and wisdom. Buddhism upholds the golden rule which expects people to treat others as they would like to be treated. Confucianism operates in the principle of social order. It mandates that its believers engage in meditation and personal development to prevent the influence of bad actors and the adoption of negative behaviors. Hinduism acknowledges that humans seek pleasure and therefore advocates for its believers to seek pleasures but take note, not to harm others in the process. The religion of Taoism focuses on naturalness and moderation; it encourages a profound sense of humility in its believers. It discourages acts of extravagance and lavish living in the lives of its believers. Christianity, Judaism, and Islam mandate similar principles in their believers. Believers are assured of God’s love, and the non-believers and wrongdoers face punishment and the wrath of God.
The religions that came before the major religions, that is, the native religions among the people of Asia, Africa, Australia, and America has been collectively described as primal religions as they came first. Such religions could be passed over generations for more extended periods as they depended on comprehension and orality. In retrospect, the religions of today are washed away as people cannot comprehend meaning due to making assumptions that the knowledge is found in writings. A distinguishing feature of primal religions is placed versus space. Ancient and primal religions are attached to place. Another fundamental aspect of primal religion is the concept of eternal time. Whereas the western and contemporary religions look to the future, the primal religions looked towards the past. The primal time was not linear but atemporal. Its sequence for people’s past is “preeminently closer to the originating source of things.”
Smith in explaining the meaning of life asserts that “every society and religion has rules and moral laws. The essence of morality in an art form that draws a line somewhere.” Smith in his book documents how generic religious views answer the question of meaning. Smith asserts that life is meaningful in religion’s fundamental postulate. Smith coined a cryptic notion that suggests that human beings are objectively meaningful as they express God’s infinity and that God would not be God without the existence of human beings.
According to Smith human beings are part of a chain of beings that extends from the heavenly dimension to the physical dimension. This is the case with Christianity and some other religions which believe God created the world and everything in it. The distinction between these two dimensions, however, exist in the essence that humans encounter the physical world through their senses whereas the heavenly dimension is perceived through intuition, thoughts, and feelings. This is coherent with the human world view where the physical world in perceived through interactions between the senses and the environment as compared to the heavenly dimension being perceived by faith. Smith asserts that the purpose of human existence is to complete God’s infinity.
Smith inquires whether the predicate of religion is realistic. He discerns that there is no sure way to know. He documents that life and the world came to humans ambiguously and therefore there is no common ground to confound a precise meaning. Nonetheless, some factual actors favor the posits of religion. Such actors present themselves as ambiguous problems and challenges that humans on their own cannot overcome and may need the support of others or divine intervention. Religion serves as the solution to the concepts of suffering, grace hope, and effort. Whereas the phenomena of religion may be perceived through intuition, its existence is well mapped in life issues. Religion brings to light the vulnerabilities of humanity.
The book describes the journey of the author interacting with various religions and their teachers. The author without a comparative analogy in his excursion finds that each religion is unique and some share few similarities. Smith discerns that the people who listen to work for peace and peace is built in harmony and not political hegemonies. Understanding the realms of faith and the principles governing the conduct of human beings can initiate and harmonious environment with a balance in power and love which can eradicate suspicion and prejudice.
Some of the essential takeaways from the book emphasize the need to be impartial and tolerant. This means that people should remain open-minded and be ready to embrace other’s beliefs and practices. The books urge people not to be the actors that cause hindrances for others. Before making assumptions and drawing conclusions, it is paramount to gather all the facts. Scholars are urged to be patient listeners. People communicating too much may have nothing substantial to share. Individuals can learn to listen and incorporate their surroundings. People can follow the example of the native religions where there is no word for art as everything is art. People can learn to appreciate others and their environments.
At first glance, one may think the book takes a comparative approach to the contemporary monotheistic religions. However, the book is a masterpiece weaving together the moral aspects of various faiths. It documents that some moral aspects of the different world religions are linked to various theological principles. The author is keen to remain unbiased and gives a critical account of what the global religions have to offer. The context aims to initiate global religious literacy. The author tries to bridge traditional and modern concepts of religion and science to bring all the denominations of religion to surface for mutual understanding.
The exploration into the various religions is also aimed at destroying stereotypes and prejudices held between people of different religions. The similarities observed between the religions provide a baseline for further discussions and prevents a baseline of obstacles brought about by stereotypes. The focal point of the book covers the seven major religions and the traditional primal religions in an attempt to educate religious scholars the different nature, belief, and practices of different religions. Each religion has its comprehensive chapter where the readers can expand their horizons about specific religious groups.
The book is a comprehensive guide to the tenets, principles, and faiths of the prominent world and primal religions. The author receives accreditation for being a master in deciphering the ideas and patterns in the religions of the world. The book provides a source of inference through which scholars can make references to various religions. The book has been described as a savory context with fresh insights on the spiritual journey, the concept of life, and how religion plays a significant role in the lives of people. The book is a substantive, broad, and accessible guide to the wisdom of traditions.
