Religion in 5 Minutes

Religion in Five Minutes provides an accessible and lively introduction to the questions about religion and religious behaviour that interest most of us, whether or not we personally identify with – or practice – a religion. Suitable for beginning students and the general reader, the book offers more than 60 brief essays on a wide range of fascinating questions about religion and its study, such as: How did religion start? What religion is the oldest? Who are the Nones? Why do women seem to play lesser roles in many religions? What’s the difference between a religion and a cult? Is Europe less religious than North America? Is Buddhism a philosophy? How do we study religions of groups who no longer exist? Each essay is written by a leading authority and offers succinct, insightful answers along with suggestions for further reading, making the book an ideal starting point for classroom use or personal browsing.

Religion in Five Minutes provides an accessible and lively introduction to the questions about religion and religious behaviour that interest most of us, whether or not we personally identify with – or practice – a religion. Suitable for beginning students and the general reader, the book offers more than 60 brief essays on a wide range of fascinating questions about religion and its study, such as: How did religion start? What religion is the oldest? Who are the Nones? Why do women seem to play lesser roles in many religions? What’s the difference between a religion and a cult? Is Europe less religious than North America? Is Buddhism a philosophy? How do we study religions of groups who no longer exist? Each essay is written by a leading authority and offers succinct, insightful answers along with suggestions for further reading, making the book an ideal starting point for classroom use or personal browsing.

Preface Aaron W. Hughes and Russell T. McCutcheon Religion 1. Is everyone religious? Russell T. McCutcheon 2. Where does the word religion come from? David McConeghy, Independent Scholar 3. What does it take for something to be classified as a "religion"? Robyn Faith Walsh, University of Miami 4. Can sports be a religion? Russell T. McCutcheon 5. What is the difference between religion and mythology? Robert B. Tapp, University of Minnesota 6. What is the difference between religion and philosophy? Nathan Dickman, Young Harris College 7. What is the difference between a religion and a cult? Jason Blum, Davidson College 8. Do all religious adherents believe in the concept of a higher power? Steven Ramey, University of Alabama 9. Do all religions have sacred books? Russell T. McCutcheon 10. Do all religions have miracles? Russell T. McCutcheon 11. How did religion start? Nickolas Roubekas, University of Vienna 12. What is the function of religion? Rick Moore, University of Chicago (PhD candidate) 13. What's the difference between rituals and habits? Russell T. McCutcheon 14. Can I be spiritual but not religious? Michael Stausberg, University of Bergen 15. Is atheism, or secularism, a religion? Craig Martin, St. Thomas Aquinas College The Religions 25. Are there any religions that do not have official leaders? Jason Ellsworth, Dalhousie University 26. Is it true that women play a lesser role in most religions? Leslie Dorrough Smith, Avila University 27. Why do women in some religions cover up their faces, or even their whole bodies? Leslie Dorrough Smith 28. Why do people fight so much over their religious beliefs? Craig Martin 29. Is there a large difference between the main religions or do they just have minor variations on the same overall idea? Steven Ramey 30. Is Voodoo really a religion? Emily D. Crews, Independent Scholar 31. Why did Romans basically copy the Ancient Greek religion? Roger Beck, University of Toronto 32. Is Satanism a religion? Nat Morehouse, University of Manitoba 33. Who wrote the Bible? Stephen Young, Apalachian State University 34. Do Jews believe in the afterlife? Aaron W. Hughes 35. Why don't Jewish people believe that Jesus was the Messiah? Sheldon Steen, Florida State University (PhD candidate) 36. What are the main differences between Protestantism, Catholicism, and Greek Orthodoxy? Vaia Touna, University of Alabama 37. Why did St. Paul write all those letters? Pat Hart, Independent Scholar 38. Why do some Christians use snakes in their worship? Brad Stoddard, McDaniel College 39. What is "speaking in tongues"? Jen Eyl, Tufts University 40. Is it true that religions outside of Christianity have stories of a virgin mother, crucifixion, etc.? Robyn Faith Walsh 41. Why do some Christians not acknowledge evolution even though there is a lot of scientific evidence? For example, how do they account for dinosaurs bones? Arthur McCalla, Mount Saint Vincent University 42. Are Mormons Christians? Linh Hoang, Siena College 43. What is biblical archaeology Aaron W. Hughes 44. Is Europe less religious than North America? Julie Ingersoll, University of North Florida 45. Were African slaves forced to become Christian when they got to plantations? Sarah Dees, Northwestern University 46. Why are there so many radical Muslims in the world today? Matt Sheedy, University of Manitoba 47. What is the difference between radical and non-radical Muslims in terms of the types of Islam? Mushegh Asatryan, University of Calgary 48. I hear a lot about jihad in the news-what does it really mean? Mushegh Asatryan 49. Are there similarities between Judaism, Christianity and Islam? Aaron W. Hughes 50. Is Sufism part of Islam? Aaron W. Hughes The Study of Religion 62. Where did the study of religion come from? Michael Stausberg 63. Who was the first scholar of religion? Michael Stausberg 64. Why is it important that we study religion? K. Merinda Simmons 65. Is there a difference between religious studies and theology? Jason Blum 66. What is exegesis? Aaron W. Hughes 67. What do you do when you do fieldwork in religion? Russell T. McCutcheon 68. What ways can religion be legally discussed in U.S. public schools? Michael Graziano, University of Northern Iowa 69. Do scholars of religion study texts or do they study the religion firsthand, like an anthropologist might? Richard Newton, Elizabethtown College 70. Is it possible to study religion academically and still be religious? Richard Newton The Future 79. What is the future of "religion"? Russell T. McCutcheon 80. What is the future of religion?

• Edited by Aaron W Hughes
• Edited by Russell T McCutcheon