A leading authority in the field of comparative religion presents h Religions of the World a lucid and straightforward account of the history, beliefs, and practices of the major contemporary religions of the world. In two introductory chapters on the basic principles of comparative religion and primitive religion, the author gives the background necessary for an intelligent reading. Then he discusses in depth the leading Oriental religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Confucianism, Taoism, Zoroastrianism, Shinto, and Sikhism. Judaism and the religions of Judaic origin are treated in the final section. This includes Early Christianity, Catholicism, Islam, Easter! Orthodoxy, Protestantism, and Old Catholic Churches. Father Hardon approaches each of the religions with thoroughness and objectivity. Each chapter is complete and written in a clear, penetrating style, making this a highly readable and easy-to-use survey of the leading religious systems of the world.