The second half of the book is a glossary of religious terms that americans need to know. In the introduction to god is not one, stephen prothero tells us that hinduism has many gods and buddhism has no god. Prothero reveals that this is a profound misunderstanding. Stephen prothero, the author of religious literacy, thinks that everyone should know the basic beliefs of all the major religions.
Its about knowing them well enough to understand what some other people base their life off of. He seems like a relatively dispassionate observermore of a tame, cultural christian than any sort of fervent disciple of jesusand so, he is wellsuited to speak in objective terms on. First, he seeks to avoid the danger of relativizing the religions, so that the distinctions are muted. Oct 07, 2010 in 2007, stephen prothero professor of religion at boston university wrote a book called religious literacy. What every american needs to knowand doesnt, published by harpersanfrancisco. Prothero s religious literacy is unique in that it avoids two extremes. Match the bible characters with the stories in which. What every american needs to know and doesnt in stephen prothero, religious literacy. Were delighted to have stephen prothero here with us.
May, 2007 first of all, prothero despite his seemingly ecumenical book has become a spokesperson for public schools offering a course in biblical literacy, not comparative religion. Do all of the worlds great religions share a belief in one god, or even one central idea. Jun 10, 2007 the second half of the book is a glossary of religious terms that americans need to know. So it was with smug anticipation that i opened religious literacy, stephen protheros jeremiad about declining religious knowledge. Sep 18, 2012 stephen prothero is a professor of religious studies and prolific writerthinker at the intersection of religion, history, modern times, and education. Professor prothero was interviewed about his book, religious literacy. By that count, there are more sikhs then jews, but prothero may argue that judaism, as the basis for christianity and islam, has been more historically important.
Prothero made the case that secularism in american education was converting the citizens of our country into religious illiterates at just the time we need to be more aware of the role of religion in society. Stephen prothero is a professor of religion at boston university and the new york times bestselling author of religious literacy and god is not one. Alongside reading, writing, and arithmetic, religion ought to become the fourth r of american education. The united states is one of the most religious places on earth, but it is also a nation of shocking religious illiteracy. His goal is to show how important it is for americans to have a better education in religion and in the bible and ways to achieve this.
Stephen prothero discusees his book religious literacy with host jon. Its really crucial, at least for me, to get it out there, which is that. Read download religious literacy pdf pdf book library. Historical events, like the american revolution and the civil war, cannot be understood in a religion vacuum p. But judaism, christianity and islamthe religions of the bookare the most contentious and they all share a belief in one god. Stephen protheros religious literacy quiz part ii adapted from stephen prothero, religious literacy n. The eight rival religions that run the world with stephen colbert. His work has been featured on the cover of time magazine, the oprah winfrey show, the daily show with jon stewart, national public radio, and other top. Offering an account of the relationship between religious education and critical realism, this book is essential reading for students, scholars and practitioners interested in philosophy, theology and education. Its actually to me, its knowing enough to know that when you get to a point that has to do with religion, that you dont know.
The daily show with jon stewert, comedy central stephen prothero discusees his book religious literacy with host jon stewert and suggests that our. I still anticipate itd be tough to teach a course on the bible without finding some teachers who use it as an opportunity to. One of the tasks ive set for myself here in the blog is to record some notes from this book and my response to it. In the case of religious literacy, stephen prothero chair of boston universitys religious studies department and author of the critically acclaimed 2003 book american jesus avoids taking. In the book, prothero disagrees with the claim that all religions share essential beliefs, arguing that its important to acknowledge honestly religious differences. Stephen prothero is a historian of american religions and author of the book god is not one. Religious literacy by stephen prothero, 9780060859527, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Prothero sees religious literacy as a means to educate 5, whereas hirsch seems to see cultural literacy as a primary end of. In this engaging and important work, stephen prothero reframes the current debate. Religious literacy by stephen prothero overdrive rakuten. Mar 25, 2007 employee in critical condition after shooting at spring pizza hut. The book also includes a dictionary of religious literacy with key terms, beliefs, characters, and stories that every american needs to know in order to make sense of religiously inflected debates.
What every american needs to know aboutand doesnt, by stephen prothero. This position has been widely confirmed in other studies and surveys. Prothero likens his book to one that appeared like e. The concept of literacy has become a wellused term of late, applied to over 30 areas of study and practice, ranging from the functional financial, digital to the description of current trends emotional, environmental and the more abstract philosophical, critical. Author and religion scholar stephen prothero debunks the popular myth that all religions are different paths to the same god. He and his work have been featured on the cover of time magazine and on the oprah winfrey show, the daily show, national public radio, and other top national media outlets.
Jun 09, 2010 as stephen prothero, religion scholar and author of the bestseller religious literacy, reminds us in his latest book, god is not one, all the preaching about tolerance for other. Just how that happened is one of the stories this book has to tell. Prothero s judicious selection includes descriptions of the major world religions, the largest. Religious literacy stephen prothero digital audiobook. Stephen prothero is the new york times bestselling author of religious literacy and god is not one, a professor of religion at boston university, and a senior fellow at the smithsonians national museum of american history in washington d. Protheros book is a long complaint about the lack of religious literacy in america. Last time i posted some notes about the introduction. Stephen prothero believes that religion should be taught in the public schools. The author also dedicates 85 pages of his book to a useful. Apr 26, 2015 in the introduction to god is not one, stephen prothero tells us that hinduism has many gods and buddhism has no god.
Religious literacy ebook 9780061856211 by stephen prothero. In protheros book, adherents of sikhism number about 20 million, with about 250,000 in the us. But judaism, christianity and islam the religions of the book are the most contentious and they all share a belief in one god. Religious literacy by stephen prothero houston chronicle. We have a major civic problem on our hands, says religion scholar stephen prothero.
If in america today faith is almost entirely devoid of content p. Stephen prothero, is the author of religious literacy, a 2007 bestseller arguing that north americans are woefully ignorant about religion, even if they are deeply religious on average. Religious literacy, which will be published by harpersanfrancisco on march 1, 2007, explores this problem, pinpointing key moments in u. Download or stream religious literacy by stephen prothero. The daily show with jon stewert, comedy central stephen prothero discusees his book religious literacy with host jon stewert and suggests that our politicians learn about comparative religions. Stephen prothero is a professor in the department of religion at boston university and the author of numerous books, most recently religious literacy.
Prothero should be applauded for undertaking the task of inserting religious literacy into public debate, and his book would make a good beginning as a text for teaching religious literacy. His work has been featured on the cover of time magazine, the oprah winfrey show, the daily show w. As ive mentioned previously, my motivation for starting this blog was a book i read called religious literacy. Mar 31, 2010 stephen prothero, chair of the religion department at the college of arts and sciences, speaks about his new book, the new york times best seller religious literacy. What every american needs to knowand doesnt, by stephen prothero, published this year 2007. Get 50% off this audiobook at the audiobooksnow online audio book store and download or stream it right to your computer, smartphone or tablet. His work has been featured on the cover of time magazine, the oprah winfrey show, the daily show with jon stewart, the colbert report, npr, and other top national media outlets. Stephen prothero is the new york times bestselling author of religious literacy and god is not.
One ironic factor is an emphasis on a bland tolerance that, while vital to. Stephen prothero, discusses his book, god is not one. In one of the great ironies of american religious history, prothero writes, it was the nations most fervent people of faith who steered us down the road to religious illiteracy. An introduction to god is not one, by stephen prothero. Get 50% off this audiobook at the audiobooksnow online audio book store and download or stream. Download religious literacy audiobook by stephen prothero. Stephen prothero is a professor of religious studies, and in the introduction to religious literacy, he makes very clear the difference between engaging in religious studies, and preaching. This book unpacks the impact of modern and postmodern thought on key topics whilst also generating a new critically realistic vision. The book also includes a dictionary of religious literacy with key terms, beliefs, characters, and stories that every american needs to know in order to make. Prothero s book ends with a dictionary of religious literacy, a remarkably helpful introduction to the major beliefs of the worlds religions. As stephen prothero, religion scholar and author of the bestseller religious literacy, reminds us in his latest book, god is not one, all the preaching about tolerance for other. Many believe that americas descent into religious illiteracy was the doing of activist judges and secularists hellbent on banishing religion from the public square.
In this book the author combines a lively history of the rise and fall of american religious. God is not one is a major book that challenges the underlying premise of books like karen armstrongs a history of god and jack miless god. What every american needs to knowand doesnt ebook written by stephen prothero. The eight rival religions that run the world and why their differences matter. He is a professor of religion at boston university and the author of eight books on religion in america, including the new york times bestseller religious literacy. Stephen prothero plumbs the depths of religious illiteracy. Stephen prothero, chair of the religion department at the college of arts and sciences, speaks about his new book, the new york times best seller. Like many of these, religious literacy is an attempt to define and. There were, hirsch contended, certain things we should know to be an educated citizen, things too many americans didnt know.
Mar 11, 2008 stephen prothero is a professor of religious studies, and in the introduction to religious literacy, he makes very clear the difference between engaging in religious studies, and preaching. What every american needs to know and doesnt harpercollins ebooks, february 2007 iv298, we find a discussion of the paradox that americans are both deeply religious and profoundly ignorant about religion pg. In 2007, stephen prothero professor of religion at boston university wrote a book called religious literacy. Let me just say one last thing about religious literacy, which is that for me the goal for high school kids or grownups isnt to memorize the 150 terms at the back of my book, wherever they are. What every american needs to knowand doesnt 9780060859527. Hirschs cultural literacy 1987, which warned of a serious deficiency in our cultural iq. Protheros judicious selection includes descriptions of the major world religions, the largest. Harper san francisco, 2007 gives a past and present look at religious literacy in america.
Stephen prothero is the new york times bestselling author of religious literacy and god is not one and a professor of religion at boston university. Employee in critical condition after shooting at spring pizza hut. Mar 11, 2007 prothero should be applauded for undertaking the task of inserting religious literacy into public debate, and his book would make a good beginning as a text for teaching religious literacy. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read religious literacy. Just how that happened is one of the stories this audio has to tell.
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