Religions flourish everywhere around the planet, shaping people's lives, providing meaning and spiritual guidance in a perplexing world, giving comfort in times of distress. Divided into 52 sections and grouped into four chapters Religion: A Crash Course takes a geographical approach. It covers the ancient religions that emanate from the Indian subcontinent, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism through to the Abrahamic faiths of the Jews, Christians, and Muslims of Arabia and Europe. The third section looks at the way Indian religions found their way to China and Japan, mingling Taoism, Confucianism, and Shinto. Finally, the less well-documented tribal religions of Africa, Australasia, and the Americas are explored as well as recent phenomena in the New World: the Mormons, Rastafarians, and Pentecostalists.

Author Biography

Adam Ford is an ordained Anglican priest, now retired. He has an MA in Indian religions and regularly lectures on Buddhism and Hinduism. He is the author of The Art of Mindful Walking (2011), Seeking Silence in a Noisy World (2011), Mindfulness & the Art of Urban Living (2013), and Galileo & The Art of Ageing Mindfully (2015).