The topics in this collection of nineteen essays range "from Taoism and ecology, the Vedic-Soma experience, Tibetan magical chanting, and the treatment of Western philosophies as religions to the impact of postmodernism on the study of religions." (Libr J) Bibliography. Index.

Publisher
Huston Smith is revered in the world's spiritual community as an ecumenical sage of the twentieth century. From considerations of individual identity to reflections on humanity's broadest religious and philosophical venturings, he has bravely explored the deep connections among world spiritual traditions for over thirty years. The nineteen essays collected in Huston Smith: Essays on World Religions span the career and chart the intellectual journey of this groundbreaking thinker. Originally published in journals of very small circulation, this work has never been available to general readers before. Smith writes with erudition and a warm personal style on such varied phenomena as the psychedelic experience of soma and the vedic religion, the supernatural as it appears to the Chinese intelligentsia, spiritual discipline in Zen training, the simultaneous octave sung by a single Tibetan monk, and the West's obsession with a dichotomy between God and man. This collection provides an intimate glimpse into the development of an extraordinary mind. The guiding motive of Huston Smith's life and work has been to tenaciously bridge the gap between diverse cultural realities and a single transcendent reality. In this collection's new and engaging foreword, he discusses this approach to a truly global perspective on the spiritual life of humankind. Editor M. Darrol Bryant illuminates the backgrounds of Smith's life and thought in an insightful introduction.

Library Journal  
Many scholars of religion began their studies by reading Smith's The Religions of Man (1964). His essays, previously scattered in numerous hard-to-find journals, are finally available in one convenient volume. The 19 pieces collected here delineate the three-decade intellectual journey of a scholar directly involved in the quest for religious knowledge. Eclectic and rich in scope, the subject matter ranges from Taoism and ecology, the Vedic-Soma experience, Tibetan magical chanting, and the treatment of Western philosophies as religions to the impact of postmodernism on the study of religions. All the essays are tightly argued and beautifully written; a few are sure to be controversial. A perfect companion to The Religions of Man and necessary reading for anyone interested in religious studies. Recommended for public and academic libraries.-- Glenn Masuchika, Chaminade Univ. Lib., Honolulu
 
Gavin D'Costa - The Journal of Religion  
Bryant has written an excellent introduction providing a brief biography,putting Smith's work into chronological perspective and commenting on the threefold grouping of the different essays. . . . The book is important in advancing a necessary plea for the study of religions in an imaginative and empathetic manner, rightly criticizing a certain alternative approach current in the academy. But Smith's critique needs to be sharpened with closer and more detailed studies of alternative methodologies in religious studies. He also sometimes writes as if a crude scientism and an equally crude postmodernism were theonly real threats to a proper understanding of religion. . . . Those already fascinated by Smith will find this a useful collection bringing together disparate pieces. Those critical of Smith will be less impressed, for the collection as a whole lacks an argument. Nevertheless, even critics will be grateful for his many insights, charming style, and optimistic vision.
 
Publisher's Weekly  
Marked by clarity, rare philosophical depth and a truly global perspective, these 19 essays in comparative religion are filled with challenging ideas and bold speculations. Smith ( The Religions of Man ) argues that each of the world's three great civilizations has overspecialized--the West in natural wisdom, China in social ethics, India in religious psychology--with disastrous consequences for each culture. He looks to Taoism for guidance in solving the ecological crisis, faults postmodernism for its blindness to transcendent experience, and interprets Western philosophy as a great religious enterprise fueled by a thrust toward transcendence. On a more mundane level, Smith discusses spiritual discipline in Zen, analyzes Tibetan lamas' chants and offers insights on Japanese Shintoism, the Christian ecumenical movement, ancient Vedic priests' imbibing of soma (possibly a psychedelic mushroom, he concludes) and how to teach religion. These highly accessible essays previously appeared in scholarly journals or books. (June)
 

 Table of Contents

	Foreword
	Acknowledgments
	Introduction
I	Foundations
	Accents of the World's Philosophies	3
	Accents of the World's Religions	18
	Truth in Comparative Perspective	37
II	The Splendid Prism
	East Asia
	Transcendence in Traditional China	57
	Tao Now: An Ecological Testament	71
	A Note on Shinto	93
	Spiritual Discipline in Zen and Comparative Perspective	96
	"Celestial Mirages": Reflections on Thought and Truth	113
	South Asia
	India and the Infinite	129
	Vedic Religion and the Soma Experience	135
	The Importance of the Buddha	161
	Tibetan Chant: Inducing the Spirit	166
	The West
	The Western Way: An Essay on Reason and the Given	176
	The Conceptual Crisis in the Modern West	197
	Western Philosophy as a Great Religion	205
III	Consequences: Social, Educational, and Ecumenical
	The Relevance of the Great Religions for the Modern World	227
	Another World to Live in, or How I Teach the Introductory Course	237
	This Ecumenical Moment: What Are We Seeking?	250
	Postmodernism's Impact on the Study of Religion	262
	Bibliography
	Index