Chapter 1 Discussion Questions

  1. Detail the problematic nature of attempts to report numbers of adherents to world religions. Consult Figure 1.1. Explain why the estimated percentages assigned to each religious tradition exceed 100%.
  1. Summarize the four types of religious story, including the problems and ideals of each.
  1. How might someone justify the statement that both postmodernist and fundamentalist religious movements are examples of Peter Berger’s “heretical imperative”?
  1. The authors refer to a collapse of metanarratives in postmodernity. Provide examples of metanarratives and explain the factors which may have contributed to such a collapse.
  1. Discuss the ways in which politics is connected to religious traditions. Use examples from the chapter.
  1. What conditions and essential questions about life led to the emergence of the great world religions?
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