This is a series of lectures on the subject of religion. This is not a book of theology, but anthropology- the systematized study of ALL religions. For example, it discussed commonalities in ritual, shared history, clergy, mysticism and the like. If you are thinking of going to school to either a)become a priest or b)study ALL religions, I’d say give this lecture series a go. The lecturer spoke using mainly Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism and Hinduism as examples.
As a series of lectures, it was good. The lecturer knew what he was talking about. My personal favorite topic of his was his discussion on the many forms of ritual, sacrifice and mysticism worldwide.
There were some areas of improvement I wanted from this lecture series. I wanted the lecturer to discuss the topic of religion as it acts as a form of transmission for culture, to talk more about other worldwide religions (like folk religions, indigenous religions, and extinct religions), and atheism. Don’t get me wrong, this series of lectures was good. However the topic of ‘religion’ is so great that some important topics as religions just got left out.
STARS: 3 OUT OF 5 STARS (5 stars=perfect, 4 Stars=Great, 3 Stars=Good, 2 Stars=Fun but Flawed, 1 Star=Not Recommended)
GRADE: This is a very good book, but I don’t think it’s for everyone. If you have an interest in the sociology of religion, check it out. I intend to listen to it again.
Overall Rating: Recommended with Reservations (How I Rate Books)
Genres/Tagwords: Nonfiction, Lecture Series, The Great Courses, Religion, History of Religion
Previous books by the author/in the series I’ve reviewed:
John Mendez- Book Reviews and More 