Religions of America: Ferment and Faith in an Age of Crisis: A New Guide and Almanac

by Leo Rosten and editor Rosten, Leo

Book Overview

This fascinating new book reflects the results of the turmoil and change in the religions of America since Leo Rosten first wrote about them.
The first section consists of nineteen articles by distinguished men, each one a recognized authority on the creed for which he speaks, setting forth the clear and candid stories of our own faiths and those of our neighbors. All religions are covered, from the major established groups to the "charismatic" cults. There are also chapters about the agnostic, the non-churchgoer and what he believes, and the scientist. A multitude of questions are raised and answered, such as: What percent of ministers profess they no longer believe in God? In which leading church can homosexuals be married? How many priests condone birth control devices? Abortions? Which faiths feel what way about intermarriage? Divorce? Have churches that participated in social activism in the 1960s gained or lost in their membership and their finances? Have the Protestant and Roman Catholic churches significantly changed their 400-year-old schism?
Part Two is the Almanac, a massive compendium that is more complete and far-ranging than any other existing one, with the statistics, public opinion polls, basic documents, sociological r?sum?s and psychological analyses of the role, conflicts, influences and trends that characterize religion in the United States today. These basic authoritative facts and figures are accompanied by the author's own essays and comments on material that is rarely subjected to critical examination. There is also a Glossary of religious terminology.
Those familiar with Leo Rosten's A Guide to the Religions of America (1955) and his Religions in America (1963) need not be told of the extraordinary reception both volumes received from the reviewers and the public. They were acclaimed by theologians of all faiths. Each book sold hundreds of thousands of copies. But this new Religions of America renders those two volumes entirely out of date. There is no other book even remotely comparable to it.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0671219715
• ISBN13: 9780671219710
• Release Date: June 1975
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Length: 672 Pages
• Weight: 1.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.6" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

knowledge of American faiths

An explanation of the many religious beliefs in the United States. The manner in which they are similar and some very different from one another. An informative and easy to read narrative that keeps one interested until the end of the book.

Great Springboard for Research

I inherited this book with the rest of my mother's books. It's now one of my favorite books in my personal library, due to the range of information it contains. If you are just interested in learning about various beliefs and practices, or looking for a faith that might be close to your own, or simply curious about the spiritual beliefs of your friends or loved ones, this book is great. It provides a pretty good overview of each religion, and more than enough information to let you know if you would like to pursue your studies about a particular faith.Yes, it is old, but so are the religions it covers. Relgions change, but not so much that this book can't give you an accurate and valuable glimpse into the doctrines and values of these religions. I would, however, love to see this book be revised. My only complaint is that it does not contain other religions of America, like Islam, Hinduism, or Buddhism. Perhaps this is something that could be addressed if this book was revised. I highly recommend this book. It's a great staple to have in your personal library.

excellent intoduction/overview to American religious thought

While some have denigrated this work on the basis of what it doesn't contain, I commend it on the basis of what it DOES contain: an excellent introduction and overview of American religious belief. True, we'd like to see more religions represented, but one has to start somewhere if one wants an understanding of religious faith in America, and this is a good place to start. Perhaps an updated version will appear, addressing some of the faiths that have gained ascendancy in more recent years. The real beauty of this book lies in it's approach - rather than being one person's interpretation and explanation of various religious beliefs, a representative spokesman FROM each faith explains the beliefs of that faith, and answers frequently-asked-questions ala Barbara Walters style. The views presented then, are as each faith would like them presented - from the horse's mouth, as it were. This eliminates a lot of error due to bias which taints so many of the books published along these lines. I recommend this book to anyone interested in learning what DO other (mostly mainstream) religions believe? What does MY religion espouse?

Very good but date makes it questionable

As another reviewer noted, the fact that this book is dated 1975 makes one wonder why the cover still says "A _New_ Guide and Almanac." However, in general, this book still seems to cover most of the major points. I found it very informative overall, with the answers to many practical religion questions, particularly comparisons of various Christian denominational views of the Trinity and other core issues. My one complaint is that this book only covers Christianity and some Judaism, again, I think the pub date has something to do with that.

Confused about Religions - This is the Book for You!

This is a rare jewel that should not be bypassed by anyone trying to understand the various religions of America. Its direct question and answer format makes it enjoyable yet very informative reading. This book outlines at least 19 different religious belief viewpoints. The chapter in this book "The Religion of a Scientist" was a real eye opener in this modern age of science. This chapter did more than any other book I have read in helping me to re-examine my old ideas on God. It was immensely helpful to me in resolving my own religious questions and issues. Leo Rosten does an excellent job of letting people from various faiths or beliefs explain their faith in their own words. Though some statistical information in the back of the book is becoming dated, the overall quality of the book still remains excellent. Since it is concise and clearly written, it is an excellent resource tool. All of the major Western religions are examined and for the price you can't beat it. My only regret is that Rosten did not compile a book on Eastern religions of equal caliber.