Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics

One of James Hastings’ greatest and most complete compilations of religious and historical information, the Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics features a staggering amount of philosophical and religious background information, This encyclopaedia took nearly twenty years to complete and features over 14,000 pages (over 1,57,50,000 words), which is the equivalent of an entire bookshelf. These volumes include topics such as anthropology, mythology, biology, and sociology, in addition to religious subjects such as sacrifice, devotion, faith, and confession. Considered an immediate authoritative work at its publication, Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics is a “must-have” reference resource for a library, for students, teachers, researchers and anyone needing an overall introduction and summary of various religions and morals. Hastings provides an invaluable contribution to scholarly reference works, as well as lending perspective into the scholarship of the time. Written in an engaging, readable, and authoritative style, this collection is an essential study aid and reference guide to a wide array of topics. There are also extensive bibliographies to help guide research, ending with a full volume devoted to Index. The words ‘Religion’ and ‘Ethics’ are both used in their most comprehensive meaning, as the contents of this volume will show. The Encyclopaedia contains articles on all the Religions of the world and on all the great systems of Ethics. It aims, further, at containing articles on every religious belief or custom, and on every ethical movement, every philosophical idea, and every moral practice. Such persons and places as are famous in the history of religion and morals will be included. The Encyclopaedia thus embraces the whole range of Theology and Philosophy, together with the relevant portions of Anthropology, Mythology, Folklore, Biology, Psychology, Economics, and Sociology. It is a wide field, but its limits are clearly defined. Only once or twice throughout the course of this volume has the question been raised whether a particular topic should be included or not.