Written by a team of acknowledged authorities under the thoughtful direction of the late Professor R C Zaehner, an expert in Ethics and Eastern religions, this is now the classic book to recommend as an introduction to understanding the world's religions.

All of the major religions are covered, with their key components and branches explored: Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Taoism.

Moreover, the minority religions, such as Shinto and Jainism, are thoroughly examined, and there is even a discussion of Dialectical Materialism, as a post-religion faith.

In every case, there is a detailed investigation and explanation of the religion's origins, beliefs, traditions, and key writings, and a Further Reading section is provided for those who wish to pursue their studies in more detail.

Lastly, a full Index allows the reader to grasp information specific to a particular enquiry, as it gives full coverage of key people and places, as well as the broad themes and doctrinal labels.

This book has for several years been the key introductory text for the Open University course ,The Religious Quest (Course A213).