World Religions: the Spirit Searching

Reviewed by jay sakashita, professor, Leeward Community College on 3/10/22

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

World Religions: The Spirit Searching covers the usual religious traditions of an introductory textbook, though there is one noticeable omission: Shinto. It seems odd not include a section on this religion. Shinto is an important religion in its own right, but the tradition also contains themes that are essential in the study of religion as a whole: relationship with the natural world, notions of purity and pollution, and the role of politics in shaping a religion’s cultural character. There is also more of an emphasis on philosophy and the teachings of the different religions than there is on ritual expressions and religious activities. Rituals and festivals are mentioned in some of the chapters—the ones on indigenous traditions, for example—but missing in others: the chapters on Daoism and Confucianism. Religions do have rich philosophical traditions, but just as important are the opportunities they provide for people to gather with others to celebrate the high points in life and mourn the low points as well. Religions give followers access to the wonder and awe that are not always explained through doctrine and dogmatic principles.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

World Religions: The Spirit Searching consists of large chunks of material from other sources. The sources are works from scholars and specialists in the field. The content is thus accurate and unbiased.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

Much of the content material in World Religions: The Spirit Searching focuses on the characteristic qualities of the various religious traditions that have defined the religions over time. These qualities are thus less likely to change significantly over short periods of time.

Clarity rating: 2

World Religions: The Spirit Searching incorporates large sections of material from a variety of sources. As a result, the source of the content or the origin of the sources are not always clear. For example, the following sentence appears in the section discussing the religious traditions of the Yoruba people: “From terracotta sculptures to stones and bronze sculptures that can still be found in the museum,…” What museum? There is no mention of a museum displaying the sculptures before the above sentence. A google search of the sentence turned up an article in The Guardian newspaper that covers the art and culture of the Yoruba people. The newspaper article invites readers to visit the Natural History Museum of Nigeria, where “From terracotta sculptures to stones and bronze sculptures that can still be found in the museum,…” (https://guardian.ng/features/ile-ife-the-city-of-culture/) There are other examples of material being properly cited or attributed in one place; but not clearly cited or attributed in others. For example, in the opening section to the Indian Sub-Continent Origins chapter is this paragraph: "Hinduism developed out of the beliefs brought to India by Aryan invaders from Central Asia in the 2nd millennium BCE. The earliest written formulation of these beliefs and religious practices is found in the Vedas, collections of hymns and rules for the performance of rituals. Hinduism later absorbed many different philosophies and practices. The three main deities, called the Trimurti, are Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu. They represent the universal concepts of creation, destruction and preservation. Hindus believe in dharma, a universal law that defines the right conduct in life, and karma, the power of actions to determine the form of one’s future rebirth. The ultimate goal in life is to break the endless cycle of incarnations (saṃsāra) and achieve mokṣa, union with the Divine." The above is embedded between other paragraphs and if one did not know any better, one might assume that this is the author’s own words. There are similar examples in the other chapters. There are other oddities too, that may make things confusing for students. For example, some chapters have a list of Key Terms for students to understand. However, some of the “key terms” don’t appear in the chapter. Monotheism, Polytheism, Pantheism are not discussed in the book’s opening chapter even though they are listed as Key Terms.

Consistency rating: 2

Perhaps one of the challenges facing OER textbooks is ensuring that there is consistency among the various sources used. This may explain why scattered throughout the book, different fonts and font sizes appear in the same section, which makes reading awkward. Moreover, there are different spellings of the same term, sometimes on the same page. Daoist and Taoist both appear on page 48 (or page 65 in ebook format). Likewise Karmas (upper case) and karmas (lower case) appear in the same paragraph in the section on Jainism. And both Theravāda and Theravada; as well as Mahāyāna and Mahayana are used in the Buddhism chapter. Consistency is also lacking between the different reading formats. Material found on a particular page in the pdf file, for example, will be on a completely different page in the ebook format. This will make reading assignments cumbersome for instructors and confusing for students.

Modularity rating: 5

The various chapters of World Religions: The Spirit Searching can easily be rearranged to suit the needs of different instructors. The sections are not limited to a particular perspective or academic approach and can therefore be shifted around without losing a connecting theme running from the first chapter to the last.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4

World Religions: The Spirit Searching is organized in a manner that is customary for many other world religions textbooks. Religions are grouped according to their geographic origins or thematically if they share common traits. There is one odd exception, though. Buddhism is not included among the religions in the Indian Sub-Continent Origins chapter. Instead, Buddhism is listed along with Daoism and Confucianism in the Asian Origins chapter. Perhaps a change should be considered as students may find this misleading.

Interface rating: 3

As mentioned above, there are different sized fonts that appear within the same paragraph in several places. The sections on Jainism, Judaism, and Tribal Religions are a few examples. This can be distracting to the reader.

Grammatical Errors rating: 3

There are a few grammatical errors, though they can be easily fixed. Examples include: “This type of communion might be experienced when people are pray or meditate.” (Page 7 or 15) “When a reader starts to approach a Sacred Text, is is important that they do a little research.” (Page 36 or 45) Confucious misspelled! (page 41 or 56) 610CE, 632CE; but 622 CE and 632 CE elsewhere

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

The text does a good job being culturally inclusive, highlighting different religious traditions of different people from different cultures.

Comments

World Religions: The Spirit Searching highlights some of the challenges of putting together an OER book. It also provides examples of what a potentially useful resource for students such a text could be. This book would be much stronger if there was more clarity regarding the citation or attribution of sources. The sources used throughout the book are solid. Clearly acknowledging when and where they are used in the text would help ease some of the awkward inconsistencies between the different sections. It would also allow students to see how the works of different scholars can be stitched together to form a more complete understanding of the searching spirit.

Reviewed by Ruth Chadd, Adjunct Professor of Religious Studies, Linn-Benton Community College on 3/8/22

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

This text provides both a comprehensive survey as well as in-depth resources with modern references for today's world religions learners. I was very impressed by the breadth of traditions that were included that even some of the current religious studies textbooks don't even include, which makes it all the more appealing for use for both in-person and online class settings.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The content is engaging, accurate, and encompasses the study of religion as an ever-evolving journey interested in comparative truth processes as they are experienced and practiced around the world. As the author states, the materials focus more specifically on the last 4,000 years of human religious practice, and the information about these geographically specific histories of origin, belief, and structure are free from error.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

One of the aspects that makes this textbook most appealing to me as an educator is the wealth of relevant resource content that is included, and intended to be used, as part of the digital experience. This is very relevant for modern learning and discussion since it offers additional opportunities for activities, information and assignments that are useful in engaging ways that are also easy to implement into class times.

Clarity rating: 5

The clarity of the text is approachable, refreshingly accessible and is designed to introduce the study of world religions in such a way that the reader's interest is engaged. The use of multimedia (i.e. video links, web links, images) is very helpful as well, and each section includes very helpful definitions of terms and key points for clarifying content.

Consistency rating: 5

Terminology is well introduced, accessible and internally consistent throughout the text. Additionally, the framework for definitions, key points, and summary of terms is consistent throughout.

Modularity rating: 5

One of the great things about this textbook is the ways in which each section (and sub-sections) can be assigned or broken down to be used at different points within a course. Additionally, this makes it very appealing for use in courses where material focuses specifically on West/East traditions, or comparatively. The uniformity of the modularity of the text is very helpful for teaching and for student use.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The organization of the text is presented in a very clear, easy to navigate and logical fashion. The author has organized the content, in part, geographically. Chapters were organized consistently by specific faiths, and with each geographic section containing, as well, a whole set of links to interesting outside resources.

Interface rating: 5

All content is extremely intuitive and easy to interface with. The links are accurate, the images are easy to view and enhance the reading experience in each section.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

The text is grammatically accurate, and free from error. I also appreciated that the grammar and style of the prose was written in a very accessible and not stodgy or overly "dry" academic way. This makes it all the more easy to read and engage with adult student learners from diverse backgrounds.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

The content of the textbook is highly culturally sensitive, and makes use of multiple examples of inclusivity shown amongst diverse races, ethnicities and backgrounds. Additionally, the author acknowledges that there are still traditions that one text simply cannot cover in full. Additionally, material is presented in a way that takes into account the global context of world religions, cultures and practices by highlighting the universal human search for meaning.

Comments

I'm so excited to adopt this text in my future course offerings for Intro to Western Religion, Intro to Eastern and/or Comparative Religions. Thank you so much for all the work that has gone into this fabulous resource!