Description
Scitus Academics LLC The Religious Traditions of Asia Religion History and Culture by Bennie Sempers
The continent of Asia is home to some of the most ancient and formative
civilizations in history. All of the world's largest religious traditions have
their origins on the continent, and Asian peoples have shaped and reshaped
how humanity understands the world and itself for centuries. Asia is the
largest and most populous continent, with a wide variety of religions. The
largest religion in Asia is Islam with approx. 1.1 billion adherents. Asia was
the birthplace of many religions such as Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism,
Confucianism, Taoism, Jainism, Sikhism, Zoroastranism, but all major
religious traditions are practiced there and new forms are constantly
emerging. Hinduism predates recorded history and is thought to have had a
beginning during the Indus Valley Civilization itself. It has no single
founder; rather, it is a diverse melange of traditions, practices, and lineages.
Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism emerged in ancient India from Hinduism.
Jains have an ancient tradition of scholarship and have the highest degree of
literacy for a religious community in India. Jain libraries are the oldest in the
country. It has traditionally been confined to the Indian Subcontinent and
West Asia.
The Religious Traditions of Asia: Religion, History, and Culture provides an
introduction to the study of the history, major teachings, and practices of
Southwest Asian, Southeast Asian, Central Asian, Tibet, and East Asian
religions and spiritual practices and is designed to give conceptual tools to
appreciate diverse religious practice in East. It covers the development of
Buddhism, Daoism, Confucianism, Shinto, Islam, Hindu, Jaina and wide range
of popular and local religions. This work facilitates the understanding of the
continent and its peoples, allowing students and academics to understand
not only the Asian past but to put current issues and problems into a broader
historical, religious, and cultural context.