"Gnosticism is far more than an ancient Christian and Jewish heresy. It arises in many religions as the belief in a radical dualism both in human beings and the cosmos: immateriality is perceived as good and matter as evil. Gnosticism often surfaces as a theme in contemporary cultural and psychological thought—especially in the works of C. G. Jung. The Allure of Gnosticism: The Gnostic Experience in Jungian Psychology and Contemporary Culture is a collection of sixteen essays illuminating gnosticism in its relation to such issues as Jungian thought, the nature of evil, the place of the feminine, communism and fascism, existentialism, Christian scriptures, and Buddhism." [Midwest Book Review]

"Isaac Asimov thinks big; readers of his science fiction works are familiar with his grasp and mastery of scale and how the individual stories unfold within the epic work. In Asimov's Guide to the Bible he utilizes this skill to pare down and untangle the many intertwined threads of biblical history and mythology. He views this guide as a way to illuminate the world of the Bible by incorporating the secular aspects of history, biography, and geography into a deeper understanding." [Amazon.com]

"The Biology of Belief examines how our less than perfectly adapted brains cope with today's world. Among the things considered are how our brain biology biases our perceptions, organizes ignorance into belief systems, predisposes us to believe in supernatural spirits, and permits others to manipulate our beliefs. The human brain evolved over millions of years to cope with survival and reproduction in the rudimentary world of our primitive ancestors. Inasmuch as our brain biology formed to cope with this ancient world, it should be no surprise that it has a few problems in dealing with the complexities of modern life."

"This encyclopedia presents 120 full-page color photographs of art works and artifacts of the sacred traditions of the world, from ancient times to the present. . . . The source of the images is the Archive for Research in Archetypal Symbolism (ARAS), a unique collection of more than 13,000 pictures and scholarly materials prepared by analytical psychologists, art historians, and scholars of religion. The Archive is housed at three locations: the C. G. Jung Foundation for Analytical Psychology in New York and the C. G. Jung Institute of Los Angeles and San Francisco."

"A comparative reader that takes an anthropological approach to the study of religious beliefs, both strange and familiar."

Renowned religion historian Mircea Eliade "demonstrates universal religious experience and shows how humanity's effort to live within a sacred sphere has manifested itself in myriad cultures from ancient to modern times; how certain beliefs, rituals, symbols, and myths have, with interesting variations, persisted."

"It is doubtful that one could encounter a more impressive work of scholarship and insight. . . . All serious students of religion would derive enormous profit from the reading of this work." [Kirkus]

"With contributions from leading scholars in psychology, theology and social theory, an overview of the contemporary state of religion and psychological studies is constructed. Numerous approaches of religion including Jungian and psychoanalytic are explored along with topics such as mysticism, madness, post-modernity and theology."

"The Sacred and the Profane serves as an excellent introduction to the history of religion, but its perspective also encompasses philosophical anthropology, phenomenology, and psychology. It will be of concern to anyone seeking to discover the potential dimensions of human existence."

"Written by distinguished historians of science and religion, the thirty essays in this volume survey the relationship of Western religious traditions to science from the beginning of the Christian era to the late twentieth century. This wide-ranging collection also introduces a variety of approaches to understanding their intersection, suggesting a model not of inalterable conflict, but of complex interaction."

"Religion and Middle-East politics expert Charles Kimball offers a timely examination of the nature and signs of religious evil, while outlining the correctives to these corruptions within each of the major religious traditions. Grounded in his experience as a Christian working closely with Muslims and Jews at the intersections of politics and religion over the past twenty-five years, Kimball outlines a clear description of the five basic corruptions that manifest themselves in each of the major religious traditions."

"Originally titled The Religions of Man, this completely revised and updated edition of Smith's masterpiece, now with an engaging new foreword, explores the essential elements and teachings of the world's predominant faiths, including: Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Islam, Judaism, Christianity, and the native traditions of the Americas, Australia, Africa, and Oceania. Emphasizing the inner—rather than institutional—dimensions of these religions, Smith devotes special attention to Zen and Tibetan Buddhism, Sufism, and the teachings of Jesus. He convincingly conveys the unique appeal and gifts of each of the traditions and reveals their hold on the human heart and imagination."