One of my granddaughters is a senior in high school, and this term she is doing an intensive course in religion. The following is a second pass at putting some thoughts down to help her. Items most appropriate for a course at the high school level are marked with an asterisk.
The below is in my opinion the best place on the Net to get started on a study of religion. It does what it says it does, that is, describes the major world religions ranked by size. But it does a lot more too.
*Major Religions Ranked by Size - Aug 9, 2007 ... This is a listing of the major religions of the world, ... The "World's Major Religions" list published in the New York Public Library ...
The second best on the Net is probably Wikipedia:
* Religion - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - A religion is a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a supernatural ...
Some Books and Authors I can recommend
Ritual and Religion in the Making of Humanity (Cambridge Studies in Social and Cultural Anthropology) by Roy A. Rappaport (Paperback - Mar. 28, 1999)
Christianity: The First Three Thousand Years by Diarmaid MacCulloch (Hardcover - Mar. 18, 2010)
A History of Western Philosophy by Bertrand Russell (Paperback - Jan. 1, 1967)
An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding (The Clarendon Edition of the Works of David Hume) by David Hume and Tom L. Beauchamp (Paperback - June 15, 2006)
*What Does It All Mean?: A Very Short Introduction to Philosophy by Thomas Nagel (Paperback - Oct 15, 1987)
*Quest for Certainty by John Dewey (Paperback - Jun 1960)
*What Is Life?: with "Mind and Matter" and "Autobiographical Sketches" by Erwin Schrodinger
*Physics and Philosophy: The Revolution in Modern Science by Werner Heisenberg
Things a Computer Scientist Rarely Talks About - Hardcover (Jan 1, 2001) by Donald E. Knuth
*Amazon's Karen Armstrong Page <== she is very hot at the moment
Discover books, read about the author, find related products, and more. Visit the page.
Mathew Arnold had an interesting thought on the subject:
Matthew Arnold Biography - Biography.com - Learn about the life of Matthew Arnold at Biography.com. ... in an age of crumbling creeds, poetry would replace religion and that therefore readers would ...
Two authors should also be considered: John Bunyan for “Pilgrim’s Progress” and Milton primarily for “Paradise Lost” but other work too.
Milton's Scriptural Reasoning: Narrative and Protestant Toleration by Phillip J. Donnelly (Hardcover - Mar. 16, 2009)
Milton: Psalm Translations - From Poems (1673) Psalm 1. Psalm 2 • Psalm 3 ... It is instructive to compare Milton's translation with those of the King James Version and the Geneva. ..
PSAL. II. Done Aug. 8. 1653. Terzetti.
WHy do the Gentiles tumult, and the Nations
Muse a vain thing, the Kings of th' earth upstand
With power, and Princes in their Congregations
Lay deep their plots together through each Land,
Against the Lord and his Messiah dear? [ 5 ]
Let us break off, say they, by strength of hand
Their bonds, and cast from us, no more to wear,
Their twisted cords: he who in Heaven doth dwell
Shall laugh, the Lord shall scoff them, then severe
Speak to them in his wrath, and in his fell [ 10 ]
And fierce ire trouble them; but I, saith hee,
Anointed have my King (though ye rebel)
On Sion my holi' hill. A firm decree
I will declare; the Lord to me hath say'd,
Thou art my Son I have begotten thee [ 15 ]
This day; ask of me, and the grant is made;
As thy possession I on thee bestow
Th' Heathen, and as thy conquest to be sway'd
Earths utmost bounds: them shalt thou bring full low
With Iron Scepter bruis'd, and them disperse [ 20 ]
Like to a potters vessel shiver'd so.
And now be wise at length, ye Kings averse,
Be taught ye Judges of the earth; with fear
Jehovah serve, and let your joy converse
With trembling; kiss the Son least he appear [ 25 ]
In anger and ye perish in the way,
If once his wrath take fire like fuel sere.
Happy all those who have in him their stay.
Milton: Psalm 2 - Notes - It is instructive to compare Milton's translation with those of the King James Version and the Geneva. Also interesting to compare are the Scottish Psalm ...
