The world's religions have emerged as one of the greatest geopolitical forces shaping our lives. Now available in an updated edition, this authoritative atlas is an essential resource for understanding the powerful role of religion around the globe. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Revising and expanding their 1994 publication, The State of Religion Atlas (S. & S.), O'Brien (Chinese Myths and Legends) and Palmer (The Jesus Sutras) offer a fascinating and thoroughgoing snapshot of the world religions' contemporary dispersion, sociopolitical complexities, and global impact. In more than 30 maps and diagrams, the atlas identifies fundamental religious characteristics and presents each religion's location and density within political boundaries. It also addresses many relevant but ancillary issues, such as geographically determined religious fault lines. Easy-to-read charts and strong use of color expedite comprehension. Highly recommended for public libraries and collections focusing on religion, political science, and cultural studies. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

The slight dimensions of this book may give the impression that it lacks substance, but such is not the case. O'Brien and Palmer (International Consultancy on Religion, Education, and Culture, UK) offer a series of world maps that depict current popular religions, their history, new religious movements, the proportion of nonbelievers, state attitudes to religion, finance, religious education, and so-called fault lines, or areas of religious conflict. Unexpected gems are maps indicating religious involvement in social issues such as environmental protection and ethical investment, the status of women in religion, natural holy places, and predicted future trends. Maps are accompanied by sidebars and graphs that add considerable information. The book ends with extensive notes and tables delineating fundamentals of the various major religions and presenting demographic information on subjects such as life expectancy, poverty, literacy, and even Internet usage--all intended to place a country's religion in a social context. This atlas, with its colorful and appealing graphics, could be a worthy stand-alone reference or a supplementary text for a world religions course. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All library collections supporting a world perspective on religion; lower-/upper-level undergraduates and general readers. General Readers; Lower-division Undergraduates; Upper-division Undergraduates. Reviewed by T. R. Faust. From: Syndetics Solutions, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.