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The Noron Anthology of World Religions
Two volume set of the anthology in box
Two volume set in box
Editors
LanguageEnglish
SubjectReligious studies
GenreAnthology
PublisherW. W. Norton & Company
Publication date
November 3, 2014
Publication placeUnited States
Pages4,329
ISBN978-0-393-06253-3
OCLC898752496
LC Class2014030756
Website"The Norton Anthology of World Religions". jackmiles.com. Archived from the original on 2024-03-02. Retrieved 2024-10-23.

The Norton Anthology of World Religions (NAWR) is an anthology of texts of world religions, edited by several scholars of religion and initially published as a two-volume book by W. W. Norton & Company in 2014 as one of their Norton Anthologies.

The selected texts are divided according to religion, with the first volume containing texts from the Eastern religions under the sections of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Daoism;[a] and the second volume containing texts from the Abrahamic religions of Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. The editors consisted of eminent scholars of religion in their respective fields, with Jack Miles serving as general editor and individual sections of the religions being edited by David Biale (Judaism), Lawrence S. Cunningham (Christianity), Wendy Doniger (Hinduism), Donald S. Lopez, Jr. (Buddhism), Jane Dammen McAuliffe (Hinduism), and James Robson (Daoism).

The sections of the religions were later published as individual paperback volumes in early 2015.

Reception of the NAWR was mixed, with some academics of religion praising it for its global scope and scholarly rigor, and others criticizing it for arbitrary definitions and bias towards Western viewpoints.

Evolution

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Conception

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According to a 2017 interview with Miles, W. W. Norton & Company initially conceived of the idea of what would become the NAWR soon after 2001.[‡ 1] The company proposed the idea to him in 2005, nine years before the work would eventually be published.[1] Inspired by the religious implications of the September 11 attacks and modeled after their previous anthologies of literature, the publishing company proposed the idea to Miles of an anthology of primary texts from the major world religions. Miles added that: "Their first thought [...] was that surely many others had preceded them into this territory. To their surprise, they found very little competition in print, and that little quite modest in scope."[‡ 1]

Michael J Altman noted in 2016 three other explanations Miles had given for the conception of the NAWR:[2]

  1. That the general reader be able to experience the major religions of the world "in their own words."
  2. That the field of religious studies may benefit from having a "coherent" canon on which further studies can begin.
  3. That the anthology is the culmination of a historical process of Western intellectual discovery beginning with the dawn of Christianity and continuing into the 1893 World's Parliament of Religions.

Aim

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Miles has stated that the anthology is a reference work[‡ 2] targeted towards the undergraduate student of religious studies or the general reader.[‡ 3][‡ 4][3] The anthology is meant to provide accurate and clear translations of key religious texts which are nontechnically contextualized.[4]

Development

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According to Miles, the development of the anthology began "in earnest" in 2006.[‡ 5] In deciding the religions which were to appear in the anthology, Miles said his criteria consisted of religions which were "major, living and, international."[‡ 6][5] Written by Miles himself, preface gives explanations for each of the criteria, which are as follows:[‡ 7]

The preface admits that Judaism is the "exception that breaks the rule" with regards to being a "major" religion by population, but it holds that the religion is "too important on other counts" to be excluded.[‡ 7]

It is by these criteria, the preface clarifies, that the religions of Jainism, Shinto, and Sikhism are not included as one of the anthologized religions.[‡ 8] When questioned specifically about the omission of the Indian religion of Sikhism in the book in 2017, Miles acknowledged that the decision was influenced by the publisher's motive to increase sales among specifically American readership, but countered that Sikhism was largely confined to the region of Punjab and so did not qualify as "international."[‡ 9]

Notably, Confucian writings were also omitted from the anthology, for which the preface gives two reasons:[6] for one, the Government of China does not legally recognize Confucianism as a religion; and secondly, the preface asserts that Confucian texts have already been made readily accessible to the general public, and therefore that it is more worthwhile to present Daoist scripture, which have not.[‡ 8]

Publication

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The anthology was first published as a two-volume set of hardbacks in November 2014, collectively 4,329 pages in length and over 8 pounds (3.6 kg) in weight.[1][7] The hefty weight of the books were noted by some reviewers.[7][8] The volumes of this edition were encased in what Jennifer Schuessler of The New York Times described as "a slipcase decorated with a suggestively numinous but culturally nonspecific swirl of colors."[1] In the March of 2015, boxes containing free exam copies of the books were distributed as part of a mailing campaign in the United States.[9]

Following the publication of the hardbacks, W. W. Norton promised to publish paperbacks of the sectional anthologies for the college market by the winter of 2016.[1][7] The paperback editions were all published by early 2015.[10]

Front matter

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Preface

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The preface, written by Miles, explains the cause and the purpose of the book.[11] In his own words, Miles explains:[‡ 10]

No propaganda intrudes here on behalf either of any given religion or of religion in general. The goal at every point is not conversion, but exploration. The only assumptions made are that the most populous and influential of the world’s religions are here to stay, that they reward study best when speaking to you in their own words.

The preface continues with an outline of the book itself, information regarding the use of foreign language words, a history of the study of religion, criteria for the included religions, and personal greetings by Miles.[‡ 11]

General introduction

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The general introduction, also written by Miles, begins by providing a guide on reading the book itself. Comparing the contents of the anthology to a museum through which one can read through in any order, he asks the reader to keep an open mind and invokes the poems of Todd Boss and Robert Burns to further his suggestions.[‡ 12] Next, Miles addresses the problem of the definition of the word religion. While he admits that "no definition of religion now enjoys general acceptance," he asserts that the literature contained in the anthology still represents their respective religions faithfully by considering religion through the focus of practice rather than of belief.[‡ 13]

Moving on, he begins arguing that the history of the concept of "world religions" stretches back millenia to the dawn of Christianity, in contrast to Tomoko Masuzawa assertion in The Invention of World Religions that the concept emerged in the nineteenth-century Western world.[‡ 14] Miles thus begins detailing a history of the comparative study of religion. According to Miles, the development of the Christian community from its inception until the medieval period led to an understanding of world religions as a "quadripartite map", consisting of Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and Paganism.[‡ 15]

When Europe underwent the Renaissance and the Reformation, Miles continues, ancient religions such as Greco-Roman polytheism and the dominant religion of Christianity were both reexamined, and the colonization of the Americas further incited the comparison of religions.[‡ 16] He follows that with the end of the European wars of religion and the beginning of the Enlightenment, the common understanding of the "quadripartite map" began to fade away as discoveries of new religions began to reach Europeans, culminating in the publication of Jean Frederic Bernard and Bernard Picart's extensive reference work "Religious Ceremonies and Customs of All the Peoples of the World."[‡ 17]

Miles proceeds to the 19th century, describing how broadening knowledge about religions in the Eastern world and their scriptures led to the release of the Sacred Books of the East, a "monumental" series of English translations of Eastern scriptures.[‡ 18] He also describes the emergence of Biblical criticism, the influence of the Haskalah on the comparative study of religion, and breakthroughs in Egyptology, before concluding with the World's Parliament of Religions in 1893.[‡ 19]

Miles concludes the general introduction with his personal reflections on the history of his own religious faith and his own opinions of religion.[‡ 20]

Volume 1: Hinduism, Buddhism, Daoism

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The first volume of the anthology, subtitled "Hinduism, Buddhism, Daoism", is 2,182 pages long and contains anthologies from writings of the Eastern religions of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Daoism.[8][12] The editors of the individual sections of this volume are Wendy Doniger for Hinduism, Donald S. Lopez, Jr. for Buddhism, and James Robson for Daoism.[13]

Hinduism

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Main article: The Norton Anthology of World Religions: Hinduism

The first section consists of almost 700 pages[14] and contains selected passages from religious texts of the Indian religion of Hinduism, edited and compiled by Wendy Doniger, an American Indologist and professor of the University of Chicago.[1][15] In her general introduction to the anthology of Hindu texts, Doniger explicitly chooses not to essentialize Hinduism, and instead asks to consider the religion as a "cluster", an umbrella term covering many beliefs, practices, and traditions.[16][17][18] The anthology begins with passages from standard Hindu texts such as the Rigveda, Puranas, Upanishads, and epics such as the Ramayana and Mahabharata.[14][19] Following these early texts, the anthology provides 250 pages of selections from medieval texts relating to Folk Hinduism, divided regionally into North and South Indian Hinduism.[14][20] Poems such as those from Kabir, Tulsidas, and Mirabai are included in this section, as are those from the Bhaktas.[20] The final part of the anthology consists of texts from the 20th century and beyond,[21][20] including an excerpt of the 1981 novel Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie and a pseudohistorical essay by P. N. Oak.[12][16][1][22]

Buddhism

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Main article: The Norton Anthology of World Religions: Buddhism

The second section contains passages from religious texts of the Indian religion of Buddhism, edited and compiled by Donald S. Lopez, Jr.[13][23] Lopez is an American scholar of Buddhism and professor at the University of Michigan.[1] Lopez provides in his general introduction to the anthology a succinct introduction to Buddhist beliefs and literature, focusing on the Three Jewels, the Four Noble Truths, Buddhist cosmology, and Buddhist canons.[24] The sections in the Buddhist anthology are first ordered by geographical space, rather than time, hence the anthology begins first with a section on Buddhist texts originating in India, followed by China, then Korea, and then in Tibet. The final section concern the religion in modern times, and includes Buddhist texts from the Western world.[24][25][26] The section on Buddhism in India is further subdivided chronologically, beginning with the earliest texts which are commonly accepted by all Buddhist traditions in a subsection titled "The Shared Tradition".[25][27] The next subsection contains excerpts from Mahayana sutras, and the next contains excerpts from Mahayana treatises.[24][27] These subsections include passages from philosophers such as Nagarjuna and Shantideva.[25] The section on Indian Buddhism concludes with a subsection on tantric literature.[25][24][27]

Daoism

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Main article: The Norton Anthology of World Religions: Daoism

The third and final section of the first volume consists of passages taken from writings related to the Chinese religion[b] of Daoism, edited by James Robson.[28][29] He is a Harvard College professor who specializes in medieval Chinese Buddhism and Daoism.[30][‡ 21] In his introduction to the Daoist anthology, Robson lays out the basic history, beliefs, and practices of the religion, in addition to cautioning against cultural appropriations, and ending with a note on transliteration.[28][3] The anthology begins with a section containing writings from the Zhou to Qin periods, where the Mozi, the Laozi, the Zhuangzi, and the Huainanzi are included.[28][31][32] The second section covers the texts of the Han to Six Dynasties periods,[33] and includes such texts as "The Wondrous Scripture of the Upper Chapters of Limitless Salvation."[34] The third section covers the Sui to Tang periods, with a focus on the collaboration of Daoists with the emperors of China and the nascent influences of Daoism in lands outside China.[33] The fourth section covers the Song to Yuan periods, and the fifth covers the Ming through Qing periods.[33] The final section of the anthology concerns Daoism in the modern period[28] and especially Western perspectives of the religion, ranging from the poems of Alfred, Lord Tennyson to the thoughts of the American hip-hop artist RZA.[35][36]

Volume 2: Judaism, Christianity, Islam

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Judaism

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Main article: The Norton Anthology of World Religions: Judaism

This part...

Christianity

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Main article: The Norton Anthology of World Religions: Christianity

This part...

Islam

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Main article: The Norton Anthology of World Religions: Islam

This part...

Reception

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When it comes to the entire anthology, opinions were mixed...

Legacy

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The anthology was considered...

Footnotes

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  1. ^ For consistency with the spelling of the word within NAWR, this article uses the pinyin spelling "Daoism" instead of the Wade–Giles spelling "Taoism."
  2. ^ It has been questioned whether Daoism, as considered by the editors of the anthology, truly deserves to be labeled as a religion.

References

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Citations

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Primary sources

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In the text these references are preceded by a double dagger (‡):

  1. ^ a b Miles & Stewart 2017, p. 5
  2. ^ Miles & Stewart 2017, p. 6
  3. ^ Miles et al. 2014a, p. xlii
  4. ^ Miles et al. 2014a, p. 42
  5. ^ Miles et al. 2014a, p. xliii
  6. ^ Miles, Jack (2015-01-29). "Editor Picks Religions For The First Norton Anthology of World Religions". NPR (Transcript). Interviewed by Terry Gross. Archived from the original on 2023-06-06. Retrieved 2024-10-23.
  7. ^ a b Miles et al. 2014a, p. xlviii
  8. ^ a b Miles et al. 2014a, p. xlix
  9. ^ Miles & Stewart 2017, p. 9
  10. ^ Miles et al. 2014a, p. xli
  11. ^ Miles et al. 2014a, p. xli–li
  12. ^ Miles et al. 2014a, p. 1–6
  13. ^ Miles et al. 2014a, p. 6–10
  14. ^ Miles et al. 2014a, p. 10–12
  15. ^ Miles et al. 2014a, p. 12–19
  16. ^ Miles et al. 2014a, p. 19–22
  17. ^ Miles et al. 2014a, p. 23–27
  18. ^ Miles et al. 2014a, p. 27–34
  19. ^ Miles et al. 2014a, p. 34–42
  20. ^ Miles et al. 2014a, p. 42–49
  21. ^ Robson, James (2014-11-30). "A Harvard professor explains Daoism, with help from RZA". The Boston Globe (Interview). Interviewed by Courtney Humphries. Archived from the original on 2023-12-04. Retrieved 2024-10-23.

Secondary sources

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g Schuessler 2014.
  2. ^ Altman 2016, pp. 288–290.
  3. ^ a b Espesset 2017, p. 33.
  4. ^ Gray 2017, p. 29.
  5. ^ Altman 2016, p. 293.
  6. ^ Strenski 2016, pp. 501–502.
  7. ^ a b c Strenski 2016, p. 494.
  8. ^ a b Kinnard 2015, p. 591.
  9. ^ Altman 2016, p. 287.
  10. ^ Kinnard 2015, p. 596.
  11. ^ Kinnard 2015, pp. 591–592.
  12. ^ a b Dalrymple 2014.
  13. ^ a b Kinnard 2015, p. 592.
  14. ^ a b c Kinnard 2015, p. 593.
  15. ^ Srivastava, Vinay Kumar (2020). "Book review: Wendy Doniger, Beyond Dharma, Dissent in the Ancient Indian Sciences of Sex and Politics". Social Change. 50 (4): 621. doi:10.1177/0049085720964279. ISSN 0049-0857.
  16. ^ a b Farneth 2015.
  17. ^ Altman, Michael J. (2017-07-03). Heathen, Hindoo, Hindu: American Representations of India, 1721-1893. Oxford University Press. pp. xviii. ISBN 978-0-19-065494-8.
  18. ^ Strenski 2016, p. 506.
  19. ^ Wood 2017, p. 56.
  20. ^ a b c Wood 2017, p. 57.
  21. ^ Kinnard 2015, p. 507.
  22. ^ Strenski 2016, p. 507.
  23. ^ Kolata 2017, p. 46.
  24. ^ a b c d Gray 2017, p. 30.
  25. ^ a b c d Kinnard 2015, p. 594.
  26. ^ Kolata 2017, pp. 46–47.
  27. ^ a b c Kolata 2017, p. 47.
  28. ^ a b c d Kinnard 2015, p. 595.
  29. ^ Robertson 2017, p. 48.
  30. ^ "James Robson appointed new director of Harvard-Yenching Institute". Harvard Gazette. 2024-01-29. Archived from the original on 2024-06-25. Retrieved 2024-11-20.
  31. ^ Espesset 2017, pp. 34–35.
  32. ^ Strenski 2016, p. 502.
  33. ^ a b c Espesset 2017, p. 34.
  34. ^ Strenski 2016, p. 503.
  35. ^ Strenski 2017, p. 505.
  36. ^ Espesset 2017, p. 35.


Cited works

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Primary sources

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Secondary sources

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