Leonard J. Biallas

As a student of Dr. Biallas', I had the opportunity to use this book in conjection with his class on World Religions. This book is a synthesis of his lectures, conveyed in an almost conversational manner, focusing on two stories from each of the world's main religions.

By focusing on the stories, Biallas provides a unique entrance into the belief system of each religion. Rather than begin with history or theology, Biallas introduces us to the Characters of the religions--Jesus, Muhommad, Ganesha, etc--and shows how the religion's history and thought progressed from the stories it tells. Throughout, Biallas is concerned with connecting each story with the reader's own religious beliefs, looking for commonalities between spiritualities and adding to all.

Biallas is also to be praised for including a section on Native American and African religions, faiths overlooked by many religious phenomenologists.

My one negative criticism would be the book's lack of formal information on each religion. By focusing on stories, the reader gets a "feel" for the religion, but is left wondering about some specifics.

Nevertheless, this is a valuable book for both students of religion and those simply wishing for a glimpse into other belief systems.… (altro)