Joanne O'Brien and Martin Palmer

The Atlas of Religion

$19.95, £11.95 paperback

978-0-520-24917-2

Available Now

128 pages, 7-1/2 x 9-3/4 inches, 7 color illustrations, 60 maps, 5 tables
May 2007, Not available in British Commonwealth, Europe; Include Canada
Categories: Religion; Geography; Global Studies

Description | Awards | About the Authors | Related Books

"Joanne O'Brien and Martin Palmer's Atlas of Religion delivers in cartographic clarity the gist and influence of the major religions—how they affect education and banking, government, law and war—alongside their social and geopolitical complexities. . . . Emotive photographs complement the crisp maps, while the text delves into the religion's historical, elemental manifestations. Geography looks at the big picture, and these maps will lift readers from any wayward parochialism to mind-blowing comprehension of religion's vast reach."—Kirkus Reviews

"A fascinating and thoroughgoing snapshot of the world religions' contemporary dispersion, sociopolitical complexities, and global impact."—Library Journal

"[An] incredible amount of information about the changing shape of religious life across the world today."—Times Higher Education Supplement

"A comprehensive, reliable, and useful picture of the state of religion in our world today. . . . [It] deserves a wide welcome."—World Council of Churches

The world's religions have emerged as one of the greatest geopolitical forces now shaping our lives. Now available in an updated edition, this authoritative atlas is an essential resource for understanding the powerful role of religion around the globe. In an accessible text packed with information, it maps the current nature, extent, and influence of each of the major religions and shows, country by country, how religions are spread through broadcasting, missionary work, schooling, and banking; how they relate to government, laws, and world hunger; and the role they play in wars. It traces the emergence of new religious movements, the survival of traditional beliefs, and the presence of atheism and agnosticism. The Atlas of Religion also locates the origin, the heartland, and the sacred places of each of the major religions and provides essential background with a valuable table showing the fundamental beliefs of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Sikhism, and Taoism.

Copub: Myriad Editions Limited

Joanne O'Brien and Martin Palmer are members of the International Consultancy on Religion, Education and Culture (ICOREC), a UK-based group that specializes in working with religions worldwide. Martin is a regular TV and radio broadcaster for the BBC, and heads the Alliance of Religions and Conservation (ARC), which develops environmental projects with religions worldwide. Joanne has headed work with Buddhists in Asia and the Benedictine Order of the Catholic Church for ARC. She also runs Circa Religion Photo Library, one of the largest such libraries devoted to religious topics. They are both authors of many books on religion, including Religions of the World and Festivals of the World.

Best of Reference , New York Library Association

Opening the Doors of Wonder: Reflections on Religious Rites of Passage , by Arthur J. Magida
The Sacred Gaze: Religious Visual Culture in Theory and Practice, by David Morgan
The Way Things Are: Conversations with Huston Smith on the Spiritual Life, by Huston Smith
Dimensions of the Sacred: An Anatomy of the World's Beliefs, by Ninian Smart