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Title: Comparing Religions

Summarizing: Comparing religion is one of the best books of the present times, which helps the readers to consider what is the right choice or what for them is wrong? The third part of the book that presents for the readers a comparative and comprehensive analysis of the previous readings. In chapter ten of this part, the readers find the guidance about the theology, revelations, comparative religions and much about how the religions are helping to fulfil their spiritual desires. This part addresses the inner self of the person directly. It appears that the author is answering each question, what has existed in the minds and the hearts of the people to date. In chapter eleven of the book, the authors have tried to answer the feelings of humanity, when they think that their relationship with God has expired. In other words, when the man thinks why he has outdone with spiritualism. Sigmund Freud's theory about religion and being childish guides much of the literary work in this chapter. The author argues that why the humans after reaching to the adult ages, still behave childishly toward the religion. The author has then analyzed Emil Durkheim's work about knowledge and religion. The authors have presented the arguments in a chronological manner that makes one think inside one's flaws. Similarly, chapter twelve is about inculcating religion, with the world we have created for our ease. The world of sciences and how it remains helpful in expanding our understandings of the concepts of religion. The author has explored what the life of the man with and without religion is? This chapter is completely reflective of nature. It reflects how humans have taken a very easy approach toward religion and how then religion treats the man in return. Some insights from David Fredrich and Iaon Caulioano’s work has been presented to substantiate the arguments. Four examples from the reflective re-reading are also part of this chapter.

Critical Analysis: The readings of this part of the book are although the reflections of how humans normally take their relationship with their respective religions. But there are aspects that needed to be more articulated. For example, in chapter ten of the book inclusiveness, pluralism and justice have been talked about. The author has although presented them in a projecting manner, but it appears that they don't answer the reason why the followers of these religions today are hostile to each other. For example, the author defines religious tolerance as more good arising from being tolerant ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"CN6EoEUe","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Jeffrey 311)","plainCitation":"(Jeffrey 311)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":630,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/JGTU363I"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/JGTU363I"],"itemData":{"id":630,"type":"book","title":"Comparing Religions","publisher":"West-Sussex: Wiley-Blackwell","source":"Google Scholar","author":[{"family":"Jeffrey","given":"J. Kripal"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2014"]]}},"locator":"311","label":"page"}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Jeffrey 311). If the tolerance is what the end product of pluralism or inclusiveness is, then why they had remain fail in getting the attention of the complete world. As the author argues that since tolerance is practised by inculcating pluralism, then why pluralism remains to fail in attracting the smaller religions of the world, why those followers are kept away from practising justice in their religion. Similarly in the next chapter religion compared with the man has been studied. The authors have attempted to study the psychological aspects of the religion over the man but it remains thoroughly unanswered that what if the man wants himself turned to another side. For example, not every man is religious and not everyone feels too loving while being close to religion or spirituality. What is the answer to that man? How they should think about the religions of the world? What options do they have then to fulfil their appetite of spirituality? As Rolheiser argues that spirituality comes with indulging into and with thinking about religion in a loving manner ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"VmdTxrQv","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Rolheiser)","plainCitation":"(Rolheiser)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":631,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/KVEBRPR8"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/KVEBRPR8"],"itemData":{"id":631,"type":"book","title":"The holy longing: The search for a Christian spirituality","publisher":"Image","source":"Google Scholar","title-short":"The holy longing","author":[{"family":"Rolheiser","given":"Ronald"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2014"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Rolheiser), this chapter remains silent for those who don’t want to own any religion. Similarly, in chapter twelve of the book, the reflexive readings have been presented in order to fulfil the practical desire of the readers. The first thing what seems unanswered is again the reflections from the lives of the non- spiritual or non- religious people, the second thing which seems absent from the reflections are what changes one can have after going close to religion. Thirdly, the authors have not defined in a much narrow sense of what spirituality or religiosity is when it is presented as part of the self-reflection in any human. Considering all these chapters from the book one is free to argue that the book appears to fulfil the spiritual appetite of some few readers, and not all can get to know exactly how the religions are beneficiary for the mankind.

The way forward: This debate in Comparing Religion is incomplete in many senses, which are must to be answered. It has not got the attention of each religion's follower of this present world. There are many faraway places on earth, where people are not aware of the religions of their self, but still, it has been observed that they tend to be spiritual sometime. Their spiritual feelings arise from somewhere. This is the way forward, this is where this book needs to expand the present debate. Harris argues that the world has been too narrow for those study spirituality or religion ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"pZQFOBn9","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Harris)","plainCitation":"(Harris)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":633,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/WVLTHIIJ"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/WVLTHIIJ"],"itemData":{"id":633,"type":"book","title":"Waking up: A guide to spirituality without religion","publisher":"Simon and Schuster","source":"Google Scholar","title-short":"Waking up","author":[{"family":"Harris","given":"Sam"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2014"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Harris). This authenticates the perspective that there is still much left in terms of religion to study after. If I compare this to my personal life, I will hide some aspects of my private life from opening up to the text of this book. The reason is that I do not consider that this book has ended my appetite for learning about religion. How come then I trust in this book? It could have been otherwise if I had grasped the notion of religiosity and spiritualism of this book, which I am unable to find out. For the world, this is a good read, and an informative read also. Despite some serious flaws (in the way of addressing the individual concerns), this book is an informative read who wish to soothe their confusion of religions and the earthly phenomena’s. For the world, it also presents a very loving side of nature and most importantly it highlights how pluralism and justice can end the problems which arise from religious misinterpretation.

There are many things what the reader could think differently about after reading this book. There are many new concepts that must be needed to be practised in the world, in order to achieve peace and harmony. The book has highlighted those aspects. Since the religious problems of the world of our being related to the geographical designs we live in, therefore a more tailored approach can solve this problem. This book in a single perspective is enough, it could give insights on how things are working on the name of the religion, but it could not give insight about religious teachings. Similarly, there are many different perspectives about any single phenomena in a single religion. This book has talked about many such phenomena in a general manner and has not gone out to individually answer the question of every such puzzle, this is the reason that before addressing the individual desire, the book offers a general know how too many other things. Since the book is a wide introduction to the background concepts of many religions, therefore it can make one understand what are the prerequisites of being a truly religious person- in case if anyone has decided to change the path of the life.

Works Cited:

ADDIN ZOTERO_BIBL {"uncited":[],"omitted":[],"custom":[]} CSL_BIBLIOGRAPHY Harris, Sam. Waking up: A Guide to Spirituality without Religion. Simon and Schuster, 2014.

Jeffrey, J. Kripal. Comparing Religions. West-Sussex: Wiley-Blackwell, 2014.

Rolheiser, Ronald. The Holy Longing: The Search for a Christian Spirituality. Image, 2014.