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From Publishers' Weekly Eck, professor of comparative religion at Harvard University, delivers a stunning tour de force that may forever change the way Americans claim to be "one nation, under God." Drawing on her work with the Pluralism Project, an ongoing study of religious diversity in the United States, Eck focuses here on the explosion of Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist communities in America, particularly since 1965. How has the growth of these religions changed the American landscape? And just as important, how are the religions themselves changing because of America? Eck's travels take her (and us) to major cities, but also to places such as Greenville, S.C.; Portland, Maine; and Toledo, Ohio. Eck is a highly skilled ethnographer who delicately balances the challenge of interpreting events while also participating in them. The success of this portrait lies in the details: in the Nikes and Reeboks that adorn the shoe racks in Sikh gurdwaras, Islamic mosques and Hindu temples; in the Muslim Girl Scout who promises to "serve Allah and my country"; in the consecration rituals at a Massachusetts Hindu temple, where the waters of India's sacred Ganges River are mixed with the Mississippi and poured freely over the building. Eck does far more than simply document the presence of religious diversity in America; she places it in historical context and illustrates the ongoing challenges it presents by describing legal battles and pivotal court cases. The last chapters address the rise of religiously motivated hate crimes and, conversely, the innovative ways some communities have welcomed religious pluralism. This is not just a book; it is a celebration. Agent, Jill Kneerim at Palmer Dodge. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc. This excellent overview of America's exploding religious diversity doubles as an impassioned call to action. In a sweeping introduction, Eck shows that since the changes in immigration laws in the 1960s, the nation's religious constituency has been altered forever. There are now as many Muslims living in the U.S. as there are Jews or Episcopalians. From Toledo, Ohio, to Eck's hometown, Cambridge, Massachusetts, the religious landscape has changed but so subtly that it has largely gone unnoticed July 17, 2001 Reviewer: from the United States writes that this is one of the best books on religion in America I have ever read. This author focuses on Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, who have been growing quickly in recent years. In the past decades mosques temples have been poping up all over, even in the most Christian parts of this country. The author gives a good history on how the religion was established here, and its growth. Her view into the daily lives of these people was fascinating. I am truly inspired how these religious people, hold true to their values, along with American values at the same time. June 26, 2001 A reader from San Francisco, CA USA writes: Diana Eck has written a very timely and important work revealing dramatic shifts in our culture--shifts which require new ways of understanding the religious diversity that is now a fundamental fact of American life. Her research and insights provide a much needed corrective to the lopsided discussions of such issues as prayer in the schools and even President Bush's faith-based initiatives; issues that are often argued from a narrow Christian viewpoint with little appreciation of the real diversity of religious persuasion and practice in this country. Every teacher, every politician, and every good neighbor should read this book. |