Encyclopedia of Love in World Religions is the first reference work to offer a comprehensive portrait of love in the context of the classic and contemporary literature of Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism, as well as other cultures and philosophies. Like no volume published to date, it reveals the full richness of religious teachings on love in all its many forms, exploring an extensive range of topics that offer philosophical, psychological, and religious perspectives to guide the quest for the meaning of love.
Encyclopedia of Love in World Religions features approximately 300 subject entries, as well as insightful biographic sketches of preeminent thinkers, all written by a multidisciplinary team of some of the foremost scholars on the subject. Entries examine both general and culture-specific interpretations of love: not just the dichotomy of spiritual and physical love, but the full emotional spectrum of love in relationships and practices. Collectively, they encompass love's integral—and sometimes conflicting—role in shaping beliefs and behavior in a vastly diverse world.
From Booklist
The major religions of the world, built as they are around a doctrine of a loving God and the idea of emulating that love, have doctrines, philosophies, and moral-ethical stances about this most positive and most complex of emotions. With contributions by more than 190 scholars, this encyclopedia contains in excess of 300 articles that examine concepts, emotions, and relationships associated with love as it is considered in the classic and contemporary literature of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islamism, and Judaism. Intended to expand upon the generally shallow contemporary Western idea of love, the entries in the encyclopedia seek to break down the dichotomies between sexuality and spirituality, sacred and profane love, and earthly and divine love. The alphabetically arranged volumes contain three types of articles. One class of entries consists of overarching concepts, rituals, or cross-cultural aspects of religion. These include commonalities such as devotion or wedding rituals. A second type are designated as “composite entries.” Adultery is one example and is considered in each religious tradition. The remaining entries treat historical figures, major literary works, and culture-specific topics dealing with love in some aspect. Aimed at the general reader, the articles are interestingly written in readable prose. Each ends with a list of cross-references and a list of print references for further reading. There is no comprehensive bibliography, however. Both volumes contain the introductory material as well as the list of contributors, list of entries, general index, and topical index. However, the first volume also contains several “Reflections on Love” by current world religious leaders—the Dalai Lama, the pope, and the Lubavitcher Rebbe as well as Sufi, Hindu, and Jain leaders. Frequent black-and-white illustrations extend articles and are well placed and clear. Although there are works on love as a concept in various religions, this is the only work currently available that gives a cross-cultural, panreligious comparison. As such, it is a worthy inclusion in most college and university libraries as well as larger public libraries. --Ann Welton
Book Description
What do the world's major faiths teach us about the many forms of love—divine and human, spiritual and sexual, romantic and altruistic? To assume those precepts to always be stern, simplistic, and strictly focused on the divine is to miss out on one of the richest sources of interpretation of the most complex of human emotions.
Encyclopedia of Love in World Religions is the first reference work to offer a comprehensive portrait of love in the context of the classic and contemporary literature of Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism, as well as other cultures and philosophies. Like no volume published to date, it reveals the full richness of religious teachings on love in all its many forms, exploring an extensive range of topics that offer philosophical, psychological, and religious perspectives to guide the quest for the meaning of love.
Encyclopedia of Love in World Religions features approximately 300 subject entries, as well as insightful biographic sketches of preeminent thinkers, all written by a multidisciplinary team of some of the foremost scholars on the subject. Entries examine both general and culture-specific interpretations of love: not just the dichotomy of spiritual and physical love, but the full emotional spectrum of love in relationships and practices. Collectively, they encompass love's integral—and sometimes conflicting—role in shaping beliefs and behavior in a vastly diverse world.
From Booklist
The major religions of the world, built as they are around a doctrine of a loving God and the idea of emulating that love, have doctrines, philosophies, and moral-ethical stances about this most positive and most complex of emotions. With contributions by more than 190 scholars, this encyclopedia contains in excess of 300 articles that examine concepts, emotions, and relationships associated with love as it is considered in the classic and contemporary literature of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islamism, and Judaism. Intended to expand upon the generally shallow contemporary Western idea of love, the entries in the encyclopedia seek to break down the dichotomies between sexuality and spirituality, sacred and profane love, and earthly and divine love. The alphabetically arranged volumes contain three types of articles. One class of entries consists of overarching concepts, rituals, or cross-cultural aspects of religion. These include commonalities such as devotion or wedding rituals. A second type are designated as “composite entries.” Adultery is one example and is considered in each religious tradition. The remaining entries treat historical figures, major literary works, and culture-specific topics dealing with love in some aspect. Aimed at the general reader, the articles are interestingly written in readable prose. Each ends with a list of cross-references and a list of print references for further reading. There is no comprehensive bibliography, however. Both volumes contain the introductory material as well as the list of contributors, list of entries, general index, and topical index. However, the first volume also contains several “Reflections on Love” by current world religious leaders—the Dalai Lama, the pope, and the Lubavitcher Rebbe as well as Sufi, Hindu, and Jain leaders. Frequent black-and-white illustrations extend articles and are well placed and clear. Although there are works on love as a concept in various religions, this is the only work currently available that gives a cross-cultural, panreligious comparison. As such, it is a worthy inclusion in most college and university libraries as well as larger public libraries. --Ann Welton
Book Description
What do the world's major faiths teach us about the many forms of love—divine and human, spiritual and sexual, romantic and altruistic? To assume those precepts to always be stern, simplistic, and strictly focused on the divine is to miss out on one of the richest sources of interpretation of the most complex of human emotions.