The Believers (film), 230
Belloc, Hilaire, 87
Benedictines, 66
Benedict, Pope, 94
Berg, Philip, 274
Berry, Wendell, 130
Berthrong, John, 124
Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church (Jamaica Plain), 67–68
Bhagavad Gita: description of, 134, 135; dialogue on ethics of war in, 160–61; on religious unity, 6; on renouncers and householders, 162
bhakti yoga (Hindu discipline of devotion), 137, 150–53
Bible: American political use of the, 18; annual sales of the, 8; Biblicism, 84; Catholic Bible, 75, 80; comparing the Quran to the, 43–45; different versions of the, 74–75; “The Greatest Story Ever Told,” 159; Jesus as described in the, 70, 71–73; King James Bible, 79; “texts of terror” in the, 47; war and violence depictions in the, 97. See also Christianity; Hebrew Bible
Big Love (HBO show), 84
bin Laden, Osama, 25, 50
Bismillah, 36–37
BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party), 168
Blair, Tony, 27, 320
Blake, William, 1
blind men examining elephant story, 338–39
Bohr, Niels, 144
Bonhoeffer, Dietrich, 81
Book of Changes (Yijing or I Ching), 102–3
The Book of Common Prayer (Church of England), 79, 299
Book of Documents (Confucianism), 103
Book of Mormon, 41, 83
Book of Odes (Confucianism), 103
Book of Poetry (Confucianism), 115
Book of Rites (Confucianism), 103
Boston Area Coalition of Reason, 325
Boston Confucianism, 124
Boston University, 4, 16, 132, 168
Brahman (Hindu essence of divinity), 149, 150, 151
Brahma (Hindu creator god), 132
Brandeis, Louis, 299
BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, and China), 63
British Humanist Association, 325
Brown, Dan, 1
Brown, Karen McCarthy, 209
Buddha: death of, 173; four sacred places of life of, 173–74; Great Awakening of, 171–72, 181, 200–201; life of, 169–74; as transformer, 114, 115, 181; Tripitaka (Three Baskets) of teachings of, 187
Buddha of Infinite Light, 191
Buddhism: anatta (no soul) teaching of, 184–86; dependent origination chain (pratitya-samutpada), 182–83; divisions within, 12; Four Noble Truths of, 172, 181–84, 200, 201; four-step problem/solution approach in, 14–15; influence on American popular culture by, 176–77; Mahayana, 42, 176–77, 186–90, 193–96, 200–201; meditation practices of, 178–79; as missionary religion, 180; monasticism of, 174, 176, 181; Noble Eightfold Path of, 14, 172, 181, 200, 201; as one of Three Teachings, 103–4, 105; origins of, 169–74; nirvana goal of, 177–80, 182–83, 200; religion versus philosophy debate over, 105; samsara (life, death, and rebirth cycle) of, 136, 151, 152–53, 200; spread of, 174–77; Theravada, 42, 114, 177, 186–90; Three Refuges (or Three Jewels) of, 180–81; Tibetan Book of the Dead of, 198; Vajrayana, 196–98; Zen, 190–93
Buddhist Bible, 282
Buddhists: devotion to Ganesha by, 132; Engaged, 180; global demographics of, 175–76; Western popular cultural portrayal of, 29
Bush, George W., 27, 72, 320
Cage, John, 103
Cain and Abel story, 255, 279
Caitanya, 151–52
Calvinism, 78–79
Calvin, John, 31, 76, 78, 82
Campbell, Joseph, 5, 6
Campus Crusade for Christ International, 67
canang sari (Bali), 158
Candomble (Yoruba religion), 219, 223–25, 227, 229, 236
Cartwright, Peter, 85
caste system (Hinduism), 142, 150
The Catcher in the Rye, 144
Catherine of Aragon, 79
Catholic Bible, 75, 80
Cave Cathedral (Cairo), 93–94
Celestial Masters (Daoism), 291, 308
Chavez, Hugo, 90
Chenyang Li, 123
China: BRIC membership of, 63; Communist, 104, 122; Han dynasty of, 113, 120; number of Daoists in, 284–85; Qin dynasty of, 120, 122; Song dynasty of, 104, 120; Tai Shan peak of, 114; Tang dynasty of, 120, 290; Three Teachings of, 103–4, 105, 121; Zhou dynasty of, 109–10
Chodron, Pema, 194
The Christ Child (1931), 65, 68
Christianity: browning of, 91–96; “clash of civilizations” between Islam and, 12, 54, 56, 98; diversity within, 12, 66–68; evangelization of the Christian West, 84–86; four-step problem/solution approach in, 14; fundamentalism, 86, 88; Global South and Global North divisions of, 95–96; Incarnation doctrine of, 68, 331; making the case for preeminence of, 18; as missionary religion, 19, 85; megachurches, 93–94; Mormonism, 12, 51, 82–84, 91–92; mysticism in, 98–99; new political divisions of, 95–96; Nicene Creed of, 67, 68, 69, 70, 74, 199, 251; origins and historical development of, 74–76; Pentecostalism, 87–91, 92; Protestant/Catholic divide of, 76–82; relationship between Islam and, 96–97; salvation goal of, 21–22; Trinity doctrine and soft monotheism of, 36, 68–70, 84. See also Bible
Christians: brown, 91–96; global demographics of, 74; Quran on relations with Muslims, Jews, and, 48–49; relationships between Muslims and, 96–97
Christian Scientists, 82
Christian Social Gospel, 20
Church of England, 79
Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Jerusalem), 30
Churchill, Winston, 17
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), 12, 51, 82–84, 91–92
The Church of Lukumi Babalu Aye v. City of Hialeah, 229
Church of Norway, 78
Church of Sweden, 78
“clash of civilizations,” 12, 54, 56, 98
Clinton, Bill, 102
Comte, August, 86
Confessions (St. Augustine), 93
Confucianism: “City of God” and “City of Man” in, 108; denial of self’s independence by, 185; Doctrine of the Mean of, 117; filial piety of, 106–7, 116; Five Classics of, 102–3, 104, 113, 115; Five Relationships and Five Virtues of, 112; individual transformation in, 109–12; interactions between Daoism and, 110, 114, 129, 192, 289–91, 302, 303, 312–13; li (propriety) and Way of Heaven of, 113, 116–17, 118, 124; Mencius and Xunzi’s contributions to, 119–20, 123, 124, 126, 299; on need for rituals, 141; Neo-Confucianism, 104, 120–21, 285; New Confucianism and Boston Confucianism, 120–24; as one of Three Teachings, 103–4, 105, 121, 281; rectification of names notion of, 112; religion vs. philosophy debate over, 105–9, 129–30, 186; ren (human-heartedness) of, 113, 115–18, 129; ritual importance in, 69; sensibility and values of, 102, 104–5; struggle between individualism and communitarianism of, 124–29; Three Bonds of, 125
Confucius: Analects of, 102, 104, 106, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117–18, 119, 121, 128, 281; as “The First Teacher,” 110; historic influence of, 101–2; on humans as social beings, 314; life of, 112–15; Mount Tai tigers story on, 127; personal appeal of, 126–29; questions raised by, 339; teachings of, 115–18
Confucius from the Heart (Yu Dan), 122
Conservative Judaism, 269
Constantine (Roman emperor), 67, 68
Constantinople (1453), 19
Coptic Orthodox Church, 94
Council of Nicaea (325), 67, 68, 74, 251
Council of Trent (1545–63), 77, 78
covenants (Judaism), 257–58
Cox, Harvey, 66, 94
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (film), 282
Cuban Revolution (1959), 216, 218
Cult of Reason (eighteenth-century France), 323, 326
cultural pluralism, 249
Cunningham, Merce, 103
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (film), 292
Cyrus (Persian king), 255
Dalai Lama, 2, 25, 176, 177, 196, 199
Daodejing (or Tao Te Ching): on de (power/virtue), 298–99; description of, 281, 291–93; reversal and return the
mes of, 293–96; “soft power” of, 299; on transformation or ground of becoming, 296–98; wu wei (natural action) concept of, 295–96, 299, 312. See also Laozi
Daoism: Daodejing (or Tao Te Ching) or Laozi (Lao-Tzu) of, 281, 291–303, 312; description of, 279–81; disappearance motifs of stories of, 315; Eight Immortals of, 306–7; growth during Tang dynasty of, 120; interactions between Confucianism and, 110, 114, 129, 192, 289–91, 302, 303, 312–13; Jade Emperor (Lord Heaven) of, 306; Lady of Great Mystery immortal of, 315; nurturing life focus of, 285–88, 313–15; as one of Three Teachings, 103–4, 105, 121, 281; philosophical and religious, 311–13; popular, 310–11; popular culture influence and contemporary impact of, 281–85; Quanzhen (Chuan-chen) tradition of perfection, 309–10; Queen Mother of the West deity of, 307; rituals of, 311; superhero immortals of, 303–6, 312; Tang dynasty prominence of, 290; Way of Orthodox Unity (Zhengyi dao) sect of, 308, 310; Zhuangzi (or Chuang-Tzu) of, 280, 299–303, 313
Daoists: “art of the bedchamber” practice by, 305; Celestial Masters among, 291, 308; “genuine person” as exemplar for, 303; global demographics of, 284–85, 290–91; nurturing life focus of, 285–88, 313–15
David and Goliath story, 246
David, King, 243, 246
Da Vinci Code (Brown), 1
Dawkins, Richard, 9, 318, 319, 321, 325, 337
Deborah the judge, 273
Debray, Régis, 77, 208.
Deng Xiaoping, 290
Dennett, Daniel, 9, 318, 319
de (power/virtue) [Daoism], 298–99
Descartes, René, 179
dharma (Buddhist teaching), 181
dharma (Hindu duty), 161
Dharma Bums (Kerouac), 176
Diagoras, 317, 318
different paths up the same mountain metaphor, 1–2
Dobson, James, 86
Doctrine and Covenants (Mormonism), 83
Doctrine of the Mean (Confucianism), 104, 117, 121
Dome of the Rock (Jerusalem) [Islam], 37, 256
Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands (film), 229
Don Quixote, 144
Douglas, Mary, 245, 259
DuBois, W.E.B., 11
Duke of Zhou, 114
dukkha (Buddhist suffering), 177, 179, 182–83
Durkheim, Émile, 91
Dylan, Bob, 246, 302
East India Company, 164–65
Eckel, David, 295
Eckhart, Meister, 99
Eight Immortals (Daoism deities), 306–7
Einstein, Albert, 247, 249
Elijah Muhammad, 29
Eliot, T. S., 9
Elizabeth II (Queen of Great Britain), 117
Emerson, Ralph Waldo, 135
emptiness (shunyata) [Mahayana Buddhism], 193–96, 199
Endo, Shusaku, 9
Engaged Buddhism, 180
Enkidu (Gilgamesh epic character), 332
Episcopal Church, 79, 96
Epstein, Greg, 271
Eshu (Yoruba orisha), 212–13
Esoteric Buddhism, 197
ethics: Confucian, 127–28; the Golden Rule, 2, 102, 258–59; Humanistic Judaism focus on, 271; New Atheists, 325
ethics of war: Bhagavad Gita, 160–61; Quran vs. New Testament on, 45
Eucharist, 81
European Muslims: popular culture influence of, 29–30; Progressive Islam movement and, 20, 54–57; religious struggles faced by, 29
Evangelical Left, 86
exile narrative (Judaism), 253–57
faith: Protestant sola fides (faith alone) doctrine on, 77; religion and role of, 69. See also beliefs
faith healing, 94
Falun Gong, 282
Falwell, Jerry, 27, 320
Fard, Wallace D., 29
Farrakhan, Louis, 29
Fatiha (Quran sura), 31
fatwa (Islamic legal opinion), 50
fear of God, 46–49
feng shui, 282
Feuerbach, Ludwig, 320
filial piety: Confucianism, 106–7, 116; Judaism, 116
fiqh (interpretation of Shariah) [Islam], 49
First Zionist Congress (1897), 272
Five Classics (Confucianism), 102–3, 104, 113, 115
Five Pillars (Islam): overview of, 31–34; Sufism rejection of, 57–58, 60, 199
Five Relationships (Confucianism), 112
Five Sacred Peaks (Daoism), 310
Five Virtues (Confucianism), 112
Focus on the Family, 86
Four Noble Truths (Buddhism), 172, 181–84, 200, 201
Four Quartets (Eliot), 9
four-step problem/solution/techniques/exemplar analysis, 13–16
Francis of Assisi, St., 80, 98
Francis de Sales, 78
Frank, Anne, 247
Freeman, Morgan, 29–30
French Revolution, 323
Freud, Sigmund, 91, 250, 318, 320, 332
Friends (Quakers), 68, 276
Frost, David, 127
fundamentalism: Christianity, 86, 88; “fundos” (Hinduism fundamentalists), 167; New Atheists, 9, 322–23, 336
Gandhi, Indira, 9
Gandhi, Mohandas, 1, 2, 10, 167
Ganesha (Hindu god), 131–33
Garden of Eden, 71, 72–73
Geter, Preston, 73
al-Ghazali, 5, 60
Gilgamesh epic, 332
Gilligan’s Island (TV show), 210
Ginsberg, Allen, 246
Glenn, John, 65
Global North and Global South Christianity, 95–96
God: Christian’s Trinity of, 36, 68–70, 84; comparing Islamic and Christian fear of, 46–49; covenants made between Jews and, 257–58; Hebrew Bible’s capricious, 243; humbled through our belief in, 339–40; Judaism on, 248–50, 252–53; Kabbalistic Judaism on, 217, 275; Mormonism on, 83; nirguna Brahman (God without attributes), 151; religious differences on perception of, 2; saguna Brahman (God with attributes), 151; shirk (ignoring oneness of God), 37; via negativa (negative way) to, 99. See also Allah; Jesus Christ
Godthink: description and dangers of, 3, 320, 334, 336–37; New Atheists’ version of, 9, 322–23, 336
The Golden Rule, 2, 102, 258–59
Good as New (New Testament), 75
Good Without God (Epstein), 271
Graham, Billy, 72
Graham, Franklin, 27
Great Awakening (Buddhism), 171–72, 181, 200–201
Great Learning (Confucianism), 104, 121
Greek Orthodox Church, 75–76
Guide to the Bodhisattva Path (Shantideva), 188
Gulledge, Amanda, 328, 329
Habitat for Humanity, 337
Hadith (Muhammad’s sayings), 49
hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca), 34
halakha (Judaism “law or way”), 2, 245, 250, 259, 267–69
Haley, Alex, 229
al-Hallaj, Mansur, 60
Hallman, J. C., 69
Hamas (Palestinian territories), 52
Hamlet (Shakespeare), 11
Han dynasty (China), 113, 120
Hanukkah (Jewish festival), 263
Hare Krishna movement, 51, 151–52
Harris, Barbara, 90
Harris, Sam, 9, 318, 319, 321
Harvard University atheism rally (2009), 327–28
Hasidism (Judaism), 268–69
Head of Christ (Sallman), 94
Hebrew Bible: creation story of, 243–44; rhythm of wrongdoing, punishment, and exile in, 244. See also Bible
Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, 267
Hedges, Chris, 322
hell: Christian view of, 47–48; Islamic view of Jahannam (hell), 46–49
Henry VIII (King of England), 79
Henson, John, 75
The Hero with a Thousand Faces (Campbell), 5
Herzl, Theodor, 272
Heschel, Abraham, 16, 47
Hezbollah (Lebanon), 52
hijab (Muslim women’s head covering): European controversies over, 29, 56; as symbol of Islamic ident
ity, 56
Hildegard of Bingen, St., 82
Hillel, Rabbi, 249–50, 258–59, 278, 339
Hinduism: Bhagavad Gita, 134, 135; Brahma (the creator) and Vishnu (the sustainer) of, 132, 137, 152, 153–57; deities of, 131–33, 134, 142; devotional, 137, 150–53; Ganesha, 131–33; differences between Indian and American, 240; four different aims of, 136–37; Hindu trinity, 153–57; holy men of, 137–38; Indus Valley civilization and birth of, 138–39, 143; Mahabharata epic, 153, 159–62; modern, 164–67; moksha (spiritual liberation) of, 136–37, 138, 147–48, 150, 151, 152–53, 161–62; mythological dimension of, 108–9; origins and description of, 133–35; philosophical, 144–50; puja (worship), 157–59; Ramayana epic, 153, 159, 162–64; samsara (life, death, and rebirth cycle) of, 136, 151, 152–53; as Sanatana Dharma (Eternal Law), 135; Shiva (the destroyer), 132–33, 137, 153–57; sruti and smrti categories of scriptures, 140, 159; today’s political, 167–68; Upanishads of, 137, 140, 144–45, 149–50, 151; Vedas of, 134, 137, 139, 140, 141, 148; Vedic religion, 140–43, 144, 145–46; Vrat Katha tradition of, 159
Hindu nationalism, 167–68
Hindus: castes of, 142, 150; demographics of, 133; history of the, 135; holy man, 137–38; renouncers (sannyasins), 145–47, 162
Hindu Students Association, 168
Hindutva (Hinduness) movement, 8, 143, 167–68
Hitchens, Christopher, 9, 19, 318, 320, 325, 326, 329
Hitler, Adolf, 17, 256, 272
Hobbes, Thomas, 299
Hoff, Benjamin, 283
Holiness movement, 87
Holley, Lonnie, 232–33
Holocaust, 10, 17, 256–57, 258, 272
Holy Communion (Christianity), 80, 81
homosexuality, 95–96
Hu Jintao, 122
Humanist Association of Canada, 325
Humanistic Judaism, 270–71
Husain (Muhammad’s grandson), 52
Huxley, Aldous, 5
“Hymn of the Primeval Man” (Rig Veda), 141–42
ibn Abd al-Wahhab, 53–54
Ibn Arabi, 61
I Ching (or Yijing), 102–3
Id al-Fitr (Islamic festival), 33–34
Ifa divination practice (Yoruba religion), 205, 213, 234–36
Ignatius of Loyola, 78
I Love Lucy (TV series), 229
Imam (Sunni Muslim leader), 51–52
Incarnation doctrine (Christianity), 68, 331
Indra (Vedic god), 142
indulgences (Roman Catholic), 76
Indus Valley civilization, 138–39, 143
Inquisition (Christian), 69
Institute for Humanist Studies, 324
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