Is there any book recommendations that defend religon belief historically

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ndcel

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Does anyone know a book where the historical impacts of religion are defended, so like showing how it helped humanity while not pandering to a faith
 
ndcel said:
Does anyone know a book where the historical impacts of religion are defended, so like showing how it helped humanity while not pandering to a faith
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Welcome to IO! And that's definitely an interesting ask. Although subject to a lot of modern day cynicism, the positives of religion in social terms - especially of support and progression - has been considerable, across different religious ideologies.
 
To me many teligions have aspired to inspire that kind of writing....and the Christian apologetics have oft tried to speak of the good their charities and benefits of spreading the good news... but the results, and many followers have not been what the mission of his words have prescribed (my opinion)

Off the cuff...i give Buddhism the best impact by one religion....overall, seems to me most are attempts to control and govern the people for the benefit of the people...but have outlived usefulness due to current implementation.

Welcome aboard and if we find the book...be glad to give it a read!
 
ndcel said:
Does anyone know a book where the historical impacts of religion are defended, so like showing how it helped humanity while not pandering to a faith
Click to expand...
This is a really broad topic ...

You can take a broad sweep, with books like "The History of Christian Europe" which was well received, I think.

Then you can go into scholarly studies, like Professor Eamon Duffy's studies of religion in Tudor England, the 15th-16th centuries, which argues that much of what is generally supposed about Medieval Caltholicism is largely false mythologies shaped by Reformation propaganda.

Depends what religion, what era, where, etc.

Religion generally, I'd have no idea where to start.
 
wil said:
Off the cuff...i give Buddhism the best impact by one religion....
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LOL. Don't try that in Japan!

But yeah, generally Buddhism gets a positive press in the west – but then a lot of what Westerners make of Eastern religions is dubious, by Eastern standards.
 
Japan is over 50% non-religious eh? But mostly practicing Shinto and Buddhism as social custom? They are much more dubious of Christianity, no?

But yeah, Japan (where abrahamic is virtually non existent) would not be the place to start to find books defending religion today.
 
ndcel said:
Does anyone know a book where the historical impacts of religion are defended, so like showing how it helped humanity while not pandering to a faith
Click to expand...
The World's Religions by Huston Smith This classic text explores the essential teachings, history, and inner spirit of the world's major faiths, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. Instead of focusing on institutional politics or historical conflicts, Smith examines the core truths and human values that animate each tradition, presenting them with deep empathy and respect.

The Perennial Philosophy by Aldous Huxley Huxley draws on a vast array of mystics, saints, and philosophers from both Eastern and Western traditions to argue that there is a single, universal truth at the heart of all religions. The book explores the common metaphysical core—the direct, experiential knowledge of the divine—that transcends specific doctrines and dogmas.

God Is Not One by Stephen Prothero Rather than claiming all religions teach the same thing, Prothero argues that they address entirely different human problems (for example, suffering in Buddhism vs. sin in Christianity). By defending the distinctiveness of each faith, he highlights the unique value and beauty of each tradition, making a case for deep religious literacy rather than generic harmony
 
ndcel said:
Does anyone know a book where the historical impacts of religion are defended, so like showing how it helped humanity while not pandering to a faith
Click to expand...
There's a book called God Is Not One: The Eight Rival Religions that Run the World. I have it but haven't read it yet.
Sociology of Religion would be a subtopic to look into for what you are looking for, I think.
 
The Bible.

Though I would have to preface that, because it's not "religion" in the sense of a formal creed or a social or civilizational institution. It's about where worship and allegiance properly belong, and how humans continually misplace that allegiance, whether to power, empire, wealth, idols, or even religious systems themselves.
 
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