Billions of people continue to place their faith in a god, or gods, in the spirits or in some form of divinity. Many others adhere to alternative beliefs outside the major faith traditions, while for others science and secular modernity provide the basis for a meaningful life.

The new, illustrated CHAMBERS DICTIONARY OF BELIEFS AND RELIGIONS includes more than 3,200 entries ranging from Catholicism to sharia law, doomsday cults to eco-paganism, and yogic flying to the Flying Spaghetti Monster. It looks at what followers of the world s major religions believe, at the origins of these faiths, and at how belief shapes our daily lives. It examines what happens when ancient faiths and the modern world collide, as in stem cell research or the teaching of creationism in schools.

This fascinating and illuminating book is an essential reference for anyone with an interest in today's world.