There are a great many religions being practiced as you read this sentence. Each
has its way of interpreting and responding to the world. Expressed in rites and
rituals, institutions and practices, each has a view of what there is—of the cosmos
as a whole and of the role and status of persons in it. Taken seriously, these views
have implications for most if not all of life. Some practice withdrawing from the
world, looking internally into oneself for answers to questions as to what one is
and how one may flourish. Others look to a community for such answers. Many
if not all treat verbal traditions or oral texts, or both, as being at least helpful and
more likely authoritative in terms of discerning a proper path in life. Among these
religions, we will consider four examples. Each includes a view of what there is
(metaphysics), of how it may be known (epistemology), and of what has deep
value (value theory, including ethics). Our choices are cross-cultural and intended
to be representative of two diverse sorts of religious traditions. No disrespect is
intended to any religious tradition in this selection. The field is too vast to cover
in one volume, and one cannot help being selective. The idea is to provide very
diverse samples.