The book title really says it all. If you’re looking for a cheeky guide to the world’s religions, then “The Joy of Sects” is for you.
Over the course of your career, you are going to have the opportunity to report stories featuring people from all kinds of religious backgrounds. It is immensely helpful, then, to have this resource on hand to give you a sense of what matters in each one.
Written by former jazz critic Peter Occhiogrosso, the 656-page book is divided into seven chapters, covering Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam and a sort-of catch-all New Age category.
Each chapter gives a narrative overview of the religion and its history, explains its various schools and denominations, discusses how it’s practiced today and gives terms you should know, all presented with a light but knowledgeable touch.
Sidebars for the chapter on Hinduism, for example, include “Whose Hinduism Is It Anyway” and “So Old It’s New Age.”
First published in 1997, “The Joy of Sects” is still in print, available new for $29.
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