For introductory courses in World Religions. Widely adopted for its accessible style and comprehensive, yet concise, presentation, this best-selling introduction to world religions is ideal for students with no previous exposure to the subject. It offers accurate, comparative descriptions of a broad range of religions. In addition to background material on religious theory and study, this text explores living religions in terms of the historical and cultural factors that produced them, the lives of their founders, their basic teachings, and their historical development and current status in the world. Primary source readings with specific representative samples are provided in each chapter.