While there are many courses and tutorials online, learning from a book is still one of the best ways to greatly improve your skills. Below I have selected top Religion books.
- 12 Major World Religions: The Beliefs, Rituals, and Traditions of Humanity’s Most Influential Faiths (2016)
- Spirituality Before Religions: Spirituality is Unseen Science…Science is Seen Spirituality (2019)
- The World’s Religions (Plus) (2009)
- The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion (2013)
- Religions of the World (13th Edition) (2015)
- World Religions and Cults Box Set (World Religions & Cults) (2016)
- Beyond Religion: Ethics for a Whole World (2012)
- World Religions: The Great Faiths Explored and Explained (2006)
- World Religions (2015): A Voyage of Discovery 4th Edition (2015)
- Jesus > Religion: Why He Is So Much Better Than Trying Harder, Doing More, and Being Good Enough (2013)
- A Religion of One’s Own: A Guide to Creating a Personal Spirituality in a Secular World (2015)
- The Kids Book of World Religions (2013)
- The Anthropology of Religion, Magic, and Witchcraft (2017)
- God Is Not One: The Eight Rival Religions That Run the World (2011)
- Related YouTube Video
12 Major World Religions: The Beliefs, Rituals, and Traditions of Humanity’s Most Influential Faiths (2016)
For billions of people, having a religious belief system provides purpose in life. For some, religion serves as a guide for moral behavior. Today’s world is one in which our understanding of world religions is both understatedly important, as well as increasingly complex.After many years exploring the foundations of various world religions, Jason Boyett has written this comprehensive, easy-to-understand exploration of the twelve major world religions through a meticulous, yet unbiased lens.
Spirituality Before Religions: Spirituality is Unseen Science…Science is Seen Spirituality (2019)
Spirituality Before Religions, delves deeply into many ideas researched by many brilliant writers and scholars. My ultimate purpose is to synthesize these writings into a comprehensive study of ancient African Deep Thought with Tep Heseb, the Kemetic (Egyptian) process of accurately reckoning by using the correct method of analysis.
The World’s Religions (Plus) (2009)
Huston Smith’s masterpiece explores the essential elements and teachings of the world’s predominant faiths, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and the native traditions of Australia, Africa, Oceania, and the Americas. Emphasizing the inner—rather than the institutional—dimension of these religions, Smith devotes special attention to Zen and Tibetan Buddhism, Sufism, and the teachings of Jesus.
The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion (2013)
Drawing on his twenty five years of groundbreaking research on moral psychology, Haidt shows how moral judgments arise not from reason but from gut feelings. He shows why liberals, conservatives, and libertarians have such different intuitions about right and wrong, and he shows why each side is actually right about many of its central concerns.
Religions of the World (13th Edition) (2015)
For courses in World Religions The histories, deep-seated beliefs, and ethical systems that make up the world’s religions are some of the most important forces at play on our incredibly diverse planet. Religions of the World, Thirteenth Edition guides students as they explore each of the world’s major faiths, imparting the knowledge they need to better understand today’s world.
World Religions and Cults Box Set (World Religions & Cults) (2016)
A comprehensive series to help you reach those pursuing an answer other than Christ! These three volumes are a must for laymen, church leaders, teachers, and students wanting to understand the trends in our culture and around the world where certain religions dominate, helping you discern truth and guard your faith.
Beyond Religion: Ethics for a Whole World (2012)
“A book that brings people together on the firm grounds of shared values, reminding us why the Dalai Lama is still one of the most important religious figures in the world.” —Huffington Post, “Best Religious Books of 2011”Ten years ago, in the best-selling Ethics for a New Millennium, His Holiness the Dalai Lama first proposed an approach to ethics based on universal rather than religious principles.
World Religions: The Great Faiths Explored and Explained (2006)
A refreshing approach to understanding different faiths. Detailed annotations to stunning illustrations provide intriguing insights into the world’s most important religions—offering a deeper appreciation of the beliefs central to each. World Religions looks at the beliefs and practices of many different religions, from the ancient Egyptians through to Zoroastrianism—the oldest “living” religion—and the great faiths practiced today.
World Religions (2015): A Voyage of Discovery 4th Edition (2015)
The updated edition of this highly acclaimed text continues to help young people unlock the doors to the world’s major religious traditions. The textbook highlights recent events in the history of these traditions and helps eleventh- and twelfth-graders understand the people, dimensions, and religious principles of the world’s major religions.NEW in this edition:New!
Jesus > Religion: Why He Is So Much Better Than Trying Harder, Doing More, and Being Good Enough (2013)
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERAbandon dead, dry, rule-keeping and embrace the promise of being truly known and deeply loved. Jefferson Bethke burst into the cultural conversation in 2012 with a passionate, provocative poem titled “Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus.” The 4-minute video literally became an overnight sensation, with 7 million YouTube views in its first 48 hours (and 23+ million in a year).
A Religion of One’s Own: A Guide to Creating a Personal Spirituality in a Secular World (2015)
Something essential is missing from modern life. Many who’ve turned away from religious institutions—and others who have lived wholly without religion—hunger for more than what contemporary secular life has to offer but are reluctant to follow organized religion’s strict and often inflexible path to spirituality.
The Kids Book of World Religions (2013)
By gaining a greater understanding of the cultures and beliefs of people around the world, children build respect and tolerance for the differences that make each of us unique.With objectivity and accessibility, this title in the Kids Book of series looks at the histories, scriptures, places of worship, religious leaders, gods and major festivals that are the foundations of many of the world’s religions. Features a glossary and an index.
The Anthropology of Religion, Magic, and Witchcraft (2017)
This concise and accessible textbook introduces students to the anthropological study of religion. Stein and Stein examine religious expression from a cross-cultural perspective and expose students to the varying complexity of world religions. The chapters incorporate key theoretical concepts and a rich range of ethnographic material.
God Is Not One: The Eight Rival Religions That Run the World (2011)
In God is Not One: The Eight Rival Religions That Run the World, New York Times bestselling author of Religious Literacy and religion scholar Stephen Prothero argues that persistent attempts to portray all religions as different paths to the same God overlook the distinct problem that each tradition seeks to solve.
Best Religion Books Worth Your Attention
We highly recommend you to buy all paper or e-books in a legal way, for example, on Amazon. But sometimes it might be a need to dig deeper beyond the shiny book cover. Before making a purchase, you can visit resources like Library Genesis and download some religion books mentioned below at your own risk. Once again, we do not host any illegal or copyrighted files, but simply give our visitors a choice and hope they will make a wise decision.
The Pariah problem : caste, religion, and the social in modern India
Author(s): Rupa Viswanath.
ID: 1308141, Publisher: Columbia University Press, Year: [2014], Size: 17 Mb, Format: epub
Orpheus and Greek religion : a study of the Orphic movement
Author(s): W K C Guthrie
ID: 876376, Publisher: Methuen , Year: [1952], Size: 16 Mb, Format: pdf
‘Travelling fear’ in global context: Exploring everyday dynamics of in/security and im/mobility
Author(s): Aydan Greatrick; Elena Fiddian-Qasmiyeh
ID: 2318872, Publisher: The London School of Economics and Political Science: LSE Research Online, Year: May 9, 2017, Size: 272 Kb, Format: pdf
Please note that this booklist is not absolute. Some books are truly best-sellers according to Los Angeles Times, others are composed by unknown authors. On top of that, you can always find additional tutorials and courses on Coursera, Udemy or edX, for example. Are there any other relevant resources you could recommend? Leave a comment if you have any feedback on the list.