Cultural Literacy for Religion: Everything the Well-Educated Person Should Know

By: Mark Berkson, The Great Courses

Narrated by: Mark Berkson

Length: 12 hrs and 19 mins

Publisher's summary

According to polls conducted by Gallup and the Pew Research Forum on Religion & Public Life, the majority of Americans fail basic tests about religion, including tests on their own faith. This is troublesome because religious literacy is about so much more than naming deities or knowing the stories of ancient history. For many of us, religion is a way to examine and understand ourselves.

Moreover, religious literacy – the knowledge of basic teachings, symbols, practices, founders, institutions, and values of the world's religious traditions - can shed new light on the world around us and knock down the boundaries between us, making us better neighbors and better citizens. These 24 enlightening lectures offer you the chance to experience the breadth and depth of the world's religions from all angles – historical, theological, and cultural. They take you on a tour of the world and its religious cultures. From India to East Asia to the Middle East to the United States, your journey with Professor Berkson introduces you to the beliefs and practices of other traditions and provides you with new insights into your own.

The course approaches each religion from an "imaginative insider's perspective." What does the world look like from the perspective of someone within each tradition? What does this person value and care about? What are the everyday scriptures, rituals, traditions, and holidays like?

Along the way, you'll discover certain features that are common to many religions – concepts of divinity, scripture, rituals, and explanations of good and evil - and you'll find new ways to attain greater self-understanding.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2012 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2012 The Great Courses

Eye opener

All of the major belief systems are covered and explained non-discriminatly. Professor Berkson has been in the field and experienced the customs and rituals he speaks of. Recommended listening.

Excellently balanced thorough presentation.

Mark Berkson gave a very thorough account of what is needed to have a balanced perspective of religions around the world.
I would recommend this course to anyone who wants additional clarity regarding religion in general as well as the subtle differences among the WW beliefs.

4.5 of 5

Fantastic overview of a variety of religions. The professor approaches each religion as a sympathetic outsider, neither endorsing some beliefs over others nor addressing how they might be "right" or "wrong". This approach even made listening about the religion of my childhood interesting because it shows how seemingly obvious and ingrained rituals look to an outsider.

Some of the highlights include his coverage of Islam, the relationship between religion and violence, and the legal quandaries surrounding religion.

It would've received 5 stars had it devoted at least one or two lecture to Native American, African, or Caribbean/Island religions. Sure, they aren't the big 5, but given the misconstrued air of mysticism around such religions, it would have been valuable to learn about them in a more accurate and scholarly way.

Otherwise, I've yet to find a better introduction to world religions.

excellent overview

I especially appreciated that I was never able to figure out what the narrator's religious preference happened to be. He was quite balanced, nuanced, respectful and careful.

Excellent

Best audible book I have listened to. Great delivery and content. Recommend highly.

Good for promoting respect for all religious peoples

This lecture series is very informative for religious literacy. Essential for a chance at peace.

broad and in-depth

Professor Berkson is enthusiastic and enjoyable to listen to. I really appreciate how he pronounces non-English words.

Phenomenal

I don’t leave a lot of Audible reviews although I enjoy many audiobooks. Mark Berkson handles the topic with class. He’s obviously knowledgeable and presents things in an unbiased, respectful, thoughtful way. I wish we had more of this type of education in our schools. This is a ‘must listen’ in my humble opinion.

All the Basics, East and West

12 lectures on Eastern beliefs, 12 lectures on Western beliefs, and not a moment of them wasted. In addition to the Big 5 (Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam), we also get the essentials on Chinese folk religions, Confucianism, Taoism, Shinto, Mormonism, Jainism, Sikhism, and the Baha'i tradition. From there, religion and law in America and modern religious trends are discussed as the grand finale.

The information is given in a straightforward manner such that the entire presentation comes across as non-judgmental. The listener is invited by Prof. Berkson to take the basics presented here and build upon that foundation in the quest for knowledge and tolerance. All in all, a remarkable overview course for anyone wanting to look past media, pop culture, and political portrayals.

Accurate and Informative

This course was just great. The professor went over each and every religion simply and clearly for all to understand. The reason I can say this is when my own religion popped up he was extensive in the history and was very accurate. This is a great read for any looking to become more culturally or spiritually minded.