Today, with all of the controversies surrounding religion in the schools and in the public sphere, it would seem more important than ever that teachers and librarians have a quick source to up to date, correct, unbiased information to give to patrons and students and to inform their classroom practices. The authors of this book (all are or have been professors of religion at various well known universities) do just that. Using this dictionary of religion and culture, teacher will have access to the understanding they need to build unbiased classrooms.The idea for this book came out of the...

Morality is at the heart of political contention in American society. Unfortunately, our polarized belief systems severely inhibit the achievement of bipartisan compromises. A Battlefield of Values: America's Left, Right, and Endangered Center provides a candid but nonjudgmental examination of what people think and believe and how this informs our divisions over core values. By addressing how individuals believe rather than how they vote, the book illuminates why 21st-century America is so conflicted politically and religiously; exposes what matters most to those on the right and...