The World's Religions: Our Great Wisdom Traditions (Paperback)

When I took a class on Islam as part of my undergraduate degree, the professor recommended this text, 'The Religions of Man', as short but good overview of the world's major religions generally, and I have always appreciated that recommendation. After a brief introduction, entitled 'Points of Departure', Smith looks at the major religions in turn in the following order: Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. This is not an alphabetical ordering, nor geographic or chronological ordering. As Smith realised this book would be mostly read in the West, he put Christianity last, not as a slight, nor as a last-shall-be-first, but rather to develop a sensitivity in the text to other religions without the explicit Christian framework dictating the text.

There are several things which this text is NOT, as Smith explains in the introductory chapter. It is not intended as an historical overview of the religions, although that certainly comes into the discussion. It is not intended as a complete or rounded view of the religions - simply exploring the different denominations of Christianity could fill far more pages than this book in whole. Smith has been selective. Drawing from the best features that demonstrate the best values of each religion, he draws together an essay on each. However, this is not a comparative religions text, either. There are few comparisons and contrasts made throughout, permitting each religion to stand on its own merits.

Huston Smith sees the twentieth century in history not as a period that will be remembered for wars or nuclear weapons or Communism and Nazism, but rather as 'the time in which all the peoples of the world first had to take one another seriously.' Looking at the religions of the world and taking them seriously in their own right is an important step, as the religions of the people tend to be more enduring than politics, nation-states, and even ethnicity and general culture.

This book is accessible and written to the level of beginning undergraduates, relatively free of jargon, with terms defined when they are used, and concepts clearly explained. For each section on the major religions, there are suggestions for further reading, although these may now be somewhat out of date. Originally published in 1958, based on a television series Huston Smith conducted on the major religions of the world, it has been updated occasionally with reprinting.

Smith attempts to present the religions as living faiths rather than dry academic subjects. In many respects, he succeeds in this task, which is one of the primary reason the book remains in print and in demand after decades of use.

Not even Smith's summaries at the end of each chapter will leave you with the feeling you finally understand it all, and I wouldn't mind having some graphics clarifying things out a bit better instead of having to take notes all the time - A broader view on the subject. I am perhaps spoiled with my engineering degree in college where complex matters are usually explained with the help of some diagrams, so some people might not miss this aspect.

But don't get me wrong. This book does deliver most of what it promises, and attempts to cover extremely complex matters of heart that are simply impossible to fully present in a book, much of it you will have to feel, not read. It is poor on history, but it's not supposed to have much more on that field (I would prefer a bit more), and also, what might annoy some people is that it is not a balanced account of its subject. You will only get to know about values, attention will be given only to the good parts. If you want a balanced account on religions, including fanaticism, persecution, and those sides that are more of a curse than a blessing, but still are part of it, you will have to find another book. If you want to learn about the main values, (many of which they all share) it's here, but keep in mind that you are not seeing the dark side of the moon.

My objective was precisely learning about the values of each religion, and how they compare to each other. (This book is better with the first problem than with the second). Smith apparently did not want to go too deep into the comparative religions waters, as comparisons probably always end up comparing their worth and are sometimes odious. The price for not showing one religion as superior to others is that you will not get comparisons, or you will get very little of it.

Finally, the differences are sometimes minimal, but sometimes huge. Smith explains most of it clearly, and if you are ready to look at those religions through other's eyes you will understand it better. I found interesting the thoughts on how religions are all basically alike

This book was somewhat of a failure to me, but I guess that it is ultimately impossible to find a book on this issue that will please me or give me the fully clear knowledge I would like, as it is very hard to understand religions, and even more when they are not our own (no matter if you are theist, atheist or agnostic).

Lacking more history, and a clearer explanation of the institutional dimensions of those religions, along with some other subjects, it is still a great book and most of all a good intro to the wisdom those religions share. You will probably find yourself wanting more information, but Houston Smith's work is a good place to start.

Overall, you might end up still a bit confused, but you can still benefit from the wisdom Smith managed to gather in those few pages. I recommend it, it's worth your money.