Religions have differences and resemblances with one another. It is their resemblance in the difference and their difference in resemblance that makes it necessary to study them by the comparative method. In the scientific study of religions, the differences which the comparative method reveals are just as important as the resemblances. The present study reveals differences and resemblances in religions all the world over.
The book is divided into 8 chapters. Ch. 1 is introductory Ch. 2 describes the rise of sacrifice as the essential function of religion by which man seeks the fulfilment of his needs. Ch. 3 deals with magic which the community employed to ward off calamities. Ch. 4 expounds the concept of human personality after the death of the body and how to induce the ghost to stay away from us Ch. 5 recounts the idea of future life, rebirth or final release. Ch. 6 describes the religious dualism of Persians. Ch. 7 is devoted to Buddhism and its aim to annihilate sufferings. Ch. 8 deals with monotheism-a concept that god is one, sat,cit and ananda (existence, consciousness and love)-a concept which finds expression in the three great religions of the world viz. Hinduism, Buddhism and Christianity. Documented with Bibliography and Index.
The attitude a man takes towards God, or the idea of God, is of fundamental importance for himself; and he is therefore naturally interested in knowing what is the attitude taken up by others who, being men, are like himself. So far as he knows it, or surmises it, he cannot help comparing it with his own attitude: he has started on the Method of Comparison, and he cannot help seeing both resemblances and differences between his own attitude and that of others. Having started, he may or may not go on; but if he stops short, his com-parisons will not be of much value to himself or any-body else: the Comparative Method must take into account all the facts, or else it will be misleading. Nothing human can be wholly without interest for any man, or without its lesson for him, if he has intelligence and sympathy; and the more sympathy and intelligence he has, the deeper will be his interest. From the study of Comparative Religion, that is, from the study of the attitude taken towards God in the religions of the world, he may learn something of the deepest interest, if he has any sympathy with his fellow-man. He may start with the opinion, and may be confirmed in his opinion.
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