Huston Smith Publishes The Religions of Man - Timeline Event
Time Period
1958
Description
Renowned religion scholar Huston Smith (1919-2016) was an ordained Methodist minister who once wanted to be a Christian missionary but instead became an ambassador for the world’s faiths.
His landmark textbook, The Religions of Man, came out in 1958 and was expanded and renamed The World’s Religions in 1991. Hailed as "the most important book in comparative religious studies ever," it has sold more than three million copies and been a classroom staple for half a century.
During Smith’s experiential journeys, he practiced yoga with Hindus, meditated with Tibetan Buddhists, twirled with Sufi Islamic dervishes, chewed peyote with Mexican Indians and celebrated Shabbat with Jews. In 1996, Bill Moyers featured him in a five-part PBS series, "The Wisdom of Faith with Huston Smith." Smith once said his body was born a Methodist and would be buried a Methodist -- but "my soul cannot be confined to any human institution."
His landmark textbook, The Religions of Man, came out in 1958 and was expanded and renamed The World’s Religions in 1991. Hailed as "the most important book in comparative religious studies ever," it has sold more than three million copies and been a classroom staple for half a century.
During Smith’s experiential journeys, he practiced yoga with Hindus, meditated with Tibetan Buddhists, twirled with Sufi Islamic dervishes, chewed peyote with Mexican Indians and celebrated Shabbat with Jews. In 1996, Bill Moyers featured him in a five-part PBS series, "The Wisdom of Faith with Huston Smith." Smith once said his body was born a Methodist and would be buried a Methodist -- but "my soul cannot be confined to any human institution."
Interactive Timeline(s)
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Religious Groups
Timeline Entries for the same religious group: BuddhistBuddhist: Other ARDA Links
Buddhist: Religious Family Tree
Timeline Entries for the same religious group: Hindu
Hindu: Other ARDA Links
Hindu: Religious Family Tree
Timeline Entries for the same religious group: Islamic
Islamic: Other ARDA Links
Islamic: Religious Family Tree
Photographs
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The Religions of Man by Huston Smith, cover image- Flickr- image by
Huston Smith portrait- photo by Ellis408 at English Wikipedia
Web Source(s)
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/01/us/huston-smith-author-of-the-worlds-religions-dies-at-97.html?_r=0"Huston Smith, Author of 'The World's Religions,' Dies at 97," The New York Times
Web Page Contributor
Sandi DolbeeAffliated with: Former Religion and Ethics Editor, The San Diego Union-Tribune
