Irving Hexham | University of Calgary (original) (raw)

Books by Irving Hexham

""This introductory world religions text explores various religions under the broad categories of... more ""This introductory world religions text explores various religions under the broad categories of African Religions, the Yogic Traditions (including Buddhism), and the Abrahamic traditions. He presents an appreciative yet realistic approach, noting both the strengths and inherent problems of various world religions.

Globalization and high-speed communication put twenty-first century people in contact with adherents to a wide variety of world religions, but usually, valuable knowledge of these other traditions is limited at best. On the one hand, religious stereotypes abound, hampering a serious exploration of unfamiliar philosophies and practices. On the other hand, the popular idea that all religions lead to the same God or the same moral life fails to account for the distinctive origins and radically different teachings found across the world’s many religions. Understanding World Religions presents religion as a complex and intriguing matrix of history, philosophy, culture, beliefs, and practices. The book reflects the belief that a certain degree of objectivity and critique is inherent in the study of religion, and attempts to guide readers in responsible ways of carrying this out. Of particular importance is the books exploration of African religions, which have frequently been absent from major religion texts. These are viewed alongside Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
""

In the face of the popular crusade to link new religious movements to dangerous cults, brainwashi... more In the face of the popular crusade to link new religious movements to dangerous cults, brainwashing, and the need for deprogramming, Irving Hexham and Karla Poewe argue that many cults are in fact the product of dynamic interaction between folk religions and the teachings of traditional world religions. With the widespread loss of belief in biblical mythology in the nineteenth century, new mythologies based on science and elements derived from various non-Western religious traditions emerged, leading to the growth and popularity of new religions and cults. Drawing on examples from Africa, the United States, Asia, and Europe, the authors suggest that few new religions are really original. Most draw on rich, if localized, cultural traditions, which are then shaped anew by the influence of technological change and international linkages.

"Provides information on over 2,000 topics related to religion, including Christianity, Judaism, ... more "Provides information on over 2,000 topics related to religion, including Christianity, Judaism, other major and minor religious traditions worldwide, cults, new religions, modern worldviews, and the contemporary study of religion.
Show More
Show Less
"

This was one of the earliest academic books to discuss so-called New Age beliefs. It took a fresh... more This was one of the earliest academic books to discuss so-called New Age beliefs. It took a fresh approach to the study of cults and new religions and is rich in cross-cultural and historical examples.

Papers by Irving Hexham

Journal of Contemporary Religion, May 1, 2005

Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 1991

The purpose of this study is to explore the perceptions about Mormons as an identifiable minority... more The purpose of this study is to explore the perceptions about Mormons as an identifiable minority. Although the Canadian Constitution of 1982 prohibits discrimination on the basis of religion (as well as ethnic or racial discnrmination), examples of religious intolerance ...

Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, Jun 1, 1998

... New religions as global cultures: Making the human sacred. Post a Comment. CONTRIBUTORS: Auth... more ... New religions as global cultures: Making the human sacred. Post a Comment. CONTRIBUTORS: Author: Hexham, Irving. Author: Poewe, Karla O. PUBLISHER: Westview Press (Boulder, Colo.). SERIES TITLE: YEAR: 1997. PUB TYPE: Book (ISBN 0813325072 ). ...

Koers - Bulletin for Christian Scholarship, 2011

The mythic foundation of National Socialism and the contemporary claim that the Nazis were Christ... more The mythic foundation of National Socialism and the contemporary claim that the Nazis were Christians This article examines the ideas of Alfred Rosenberg, the "chief ideologue" of German National Socialism. Its aim is to show that, contrary to the claims of a growing number of people encouraged by the so-called "new atheism", the Nazis held a coherent worldview that was vehemently anti-Christian. To deal with criticism of Christianity by these writers and speakers, it is necessary for Christians to become aware of the Nazi worldview and how deeply it was rooted in modern paganism.

Missiology: An International Review, 1981

Tracing the rise and fall of racism among evangelical missionaries, Professor Hexham shows us tha... more Tracing the rise and fall of racism among evangelical missionaries, Professor Hexham shows us that there are no categories that neatly fit the evidence and no answers to the questions that such a study provokes. However it is important for us with historical hindsight to ponder the racism of the 19th century in view of the fact that we still live with its effects.

Irving Hexham's new world religion textbook raises an intriguing pedagogical question: How do Wes... more Irving Hexham's new world religion textbook raises an intriguing pedagogical question: How do Western students best learn about non-Christian world religions? Most world religion courses follow a predictable path of general lectures recounting the most widely-accepted scholarly findings on the history, beliefs, and practices of Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Judaism, Islam, etc.

New Religions as Global Cultures, 2018

""This introductory world religions text explores various religions under the broad categories of... more ""This introductory world religions text explores various religions under the broad categories of African Religions, the Yogic Traditions (including Buddhism), and the Abrahamic traditions. He presents an appreciative yet realistic approach, noting both the strengths and inherent problems of various world religions.

Globalization and high-speed communication put twenty-first century people in contact with adherents to a wide variety of world religions, but usually, valuable knowledge of these other traditions is limited at best. On the one hand, religious stereotypes abound, hampering a serious exploration of unfamiliar philosophies and practices. On the other hand, the popular idea that all religions lead to the same God or the same moral life fails to account for the distinctive origins and radically different teachings found across the world’s many religions. Understanding World Religions presents religion as a complex and intriguing matrix of history, philosophy, culture, beliefs, and practices. The book reflects the belief that a certain degree of objectivity and critique is inherent in the study of religion, and attempts to guide readers in responsible ways of carrying this out. Of particular importance is the books exploration of African religions, which have frequently been absent from major religion texts. These are viewed alongside Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
""

In the face of the popular crusade to link new religious movements to dangerous cults, brainwashi... more In the face of the popular crusade to link new religious movements to dangerous cults, brainwashing, and the need for deprogramming, Irving Hexham and Karla Poewe argue that many cults are in fact the product of dynamic interaction between folk religions and the teachings of traditional world religions. With the widespread loss of belief in biblical mythology in the nineteenth century, new mythologies based on science and elements derived from various non-Western religious traditions emerged, leading to the growth and popularity of new religions and cults. Drawing on examples from Africa, the United States, Asia, and Europe, the authors suggest that few new religions are really original. Most draw on rich, if localized, cultural traditions, which are then shaped anew by the influence of technological change and international linkages.

"Provides information on over 2,000 topics related to religion, including Christianity, Judaism, ... more "Provides information on over 2,000 topics related to religion, including Christianity, Judaism, other major and minor religious traditions worldwide, cults, new religions, modern worldviews, and the contemporary study of religion.
Show More
Show Less
"

This was one of the earliest academic books to discuss so-called New Age beliefs. It took a fresh... more This was one of the earliest academic books to discuss so-called New Age beliefs. It took a fresh approach to the study of cults and new religions and is rich in cross-cultural and historical examples.

Journal of Contemporary Religion, May 1, 2005

Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 1991

The purpose of this study is to explore the perceptions about Mormons as an identifiable minority... more The purpose of this study is to explore the perceptions about Mormons as an identifiable minority. Although the Canadian Constitution of 1982 prohibits discrimination on the basis of religion (as well as ethnic or racial discnrmination), examples of religious intolerance ...

Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, Jun 1, 1998

... New religions as global cultures: Making the human sacred. Post a Comment. CONTRIBUTORS: Auth... more ... New religions as global cultures: Making the human sacred. Post a Comment. CONTRIBUTORS: Author: Hexham, Irving. Author: Poewe, Karla O. PUBLISHER: Westview Press (Boulder, Colo.). SERIES TITLE: YEAR: 1997. PUB TYPE: Book (ISBN 0813325072 ). ...

Koers - Bulletin for Christian Scholarship, 2011

The mythic foundation of National Socialism and the contemporary claim that the Nazis were Christ... more The mythic foundation of National Socialism and the contemporary claim that the Nazis were Christians This article examines the ideas of Alfred Rosenberg, the "chief ideologue" of German National Socialism. Its aim is to show that, contrary to the claims of a growing number of people encouraged by the so-called "new atheism", the Nazis held a coherent worldview that was vehemently anti-Christian. To deal with criticism of Christianity by these writers and speakers, it is necessary for Christians to become aware of the Nazi worldview and how deeply it was rooted in modern paganism.

Missiology: An International Review, 1981

Tracing the rise and fall of racism among evangelical missionaries, Professor Hexham shows us tha... more Tracing the rise and fall of racism among evangelical missionaries, Professor Hexham shows us that there are no categories that neatly fit the evidence and no answers to the questions that such a study provokes. However it is important for us with historical hindsight to ponder the racism of the 19th century in view of the fact that we still live with its effects.

Irving Hexham's new world religion textbook raises an intriguing pedagogical question: How do Wes... more Irving Hexham's new world religion textbook raises an intriguing pedagogical question: How do Western students best learn about non-Christian world religions? Most world religion courses follow a predictable path of general lectures recounting the most widely-accepted scholarly findings on the history, beliefs, and practices of Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Judaism, Islam, etc.

New Religions as Global Cultures, 2018

International Journal of Hindu Studies, 2015

The International Journal of African Historical Studies, 1989

The International Journal of African Historical Studies, 1998

This study seeks an understanding of one result of the syncretism of Southern African Christianit... more This study seeks an understanding of one result of the syncretism of Southern African Christianity, namely, the increasing evidence among African Christians of ancestor veneration, belief in possession by alien spirits, dance-induced trancing, and witch beliefs.