Here is the answer to the desire of many thoughtful laymen for an intelligent appraisal of the great contemporary faiths. This is not a reference book, but a group of essays for the general reader on the idea, the spiritual core, of the chief religions of the modern day. Each essay is written simply and objectively by an eminent scholar, with the authority that is the fruit of a lifetime study of his subject. Fidelity to the classical tenets of each religion and a desire to permit each to speak for itself are salient features of the work of these men. They collaborated on the fundamental outline of the book, with the result that it is well integrated-not a random collection of articles. Recent events in China, Palestine, India, Indonesia, Japan and many other parts of the globe lend a special interest to the subject at this time, but this is not a book on current events. It takes a larger view, and is a study of religion in its widest connotations, as a potent force in history and as a meaningful influence in the world today.

Originally published in 1946.

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