Introduces the religions of the world and recommends taking an international view of religious matters.

"Smart embarks on a worldwide tour of traditional religions and secular ideologies. He explores in a detailed and detached manner all the major religions--Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism. He also discusses ideologies--nationalism, Marxism, democracy, secular humanism--which often rival religion and in an important sense are themselves religious. Smart emphasizes the importance of approaching the various worldviews with an open...

"The Philosophy of Religion is a compact introduction to the questions philosophers ask about religion. Its aim is to analyze and evaluate religious beliefs in their living context. Too often philosophy of religion has been both unrealistic and narrow-unrealistic because religious language is viewed in isolation from its context; narrow because too often religious language is identified simply with Christian language. This book attempts to remedy...