Includes bibliographical references.

Introduction. A "humanly relevant" cosmos : what we study when we study religion / William Scott Green -- Judaism. Judaism : beginnings / Baruch A. Levine -- The formation / Jacob Neusner -- Judaism in modern times : Reform, Orthodox, and conservative Judaism; Zionism / Jacob Neusner -- Christianity. Christianity : beginnings / Bruce Chilton -- Roman Catholicism / Lawrence S. Cunningham -- Orthodox Christianity / J.A. McGuckin -- Protestantism / Martin E. Marty -- Islam. Islam : beginnings / Th. Emil Homerin -- The Shi'i tradition / Liyakat Takim -- The Sunni tradition / Th. Emil Homerin -- Hinduism / Douglas Brooks -- Buddhism. Buddhism : beginnings / Mario Poceski -- The Theravada tradition / Kristen Scheible -- The Mahayana tradition / Mark L. Blum -- Daoism / Mark Meulenbled -- Confucianism / Mark A. Csikszentmihalyi -- Shinto / James L. Ford -- Indigenous religions. Indigenous religious tradition / Jualynne E. Dodson, Soyna Maria Johnson -- African indigenous religions / Jacob Olupona -- New nineteenth-century American religions / Danny L. Jorgensen -- New twentieth-century American religions / Dell deChant.