In no other nation and at no time in history, has religion played as vibrant and varied a role as it does in America today. While Judeo-Christian faiths continue to enrich millions with a sense of spiritual strength and purpose, religions that were once thought of as exotic curiosities are now firmly integrated into the nation's life and culture, indeed, in some cases, surpassing in numbers of adherents denominations that were once regarded as enduringly mainstream.It is impossible to understand twenty-first century America without seeking to gain a deeper insight into this contemporary kaleidoscope of faith. In the tradition of Leo Rosten's Religions in America, but. extending far beyond the scope of that classic book, this new work illuminates for today's readers the rich panoply of spiritual belief and practice that is fundamentally changing the nation's identity.Comprehensive in scope, the book offers more than thirty chapters, each reviewed by a respected authority, devoted to that faith's history, organization, and tenets. Covering all significant religions and denominations in the country today, this thoroughly up-to-date reference ranges from Christianity and Judaism to Islam (now the third largest religion in America); Eastern faiths such as Buddhism, Hinduism, and Bahi'l; Native American belief systems, and even non-theistic beliefs such as atheism, agnosticism, and humanism.In addition to this invaluable survey of individual religions and belief systems, the book offers more than a dozen richly thoughtful and engaging essays that delve deeply into contemporary religious issues and controversies that are of vital concern to believers and anyone with an interest in American society, culture, and politics. The topics range from the role of religion in environmentalism and the interaction between science and faith to the question "Can an atheist be a good American?" Particularly valuable is a selection of statistical summaries, maps, polls, and surveys, and demographic breakdowns that provides a factual and objective snapshot of the state of religion in America today.Harold Rabinowitz Has served as a rabbi and was executive editor of the Jewish Publication Society and president/publisher of Seth Press, a Judaica imprint of Free Press/Macmillan. He has also served as executive editor of reference and encyclopedias for McGraw-Hill. He is the translator of a Yiddish work that received the First Runner-up Citation of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1982.Greg Tobin is senior adviser for communications at Seton Hall University, where he received his master's degree in theology. His previous books include Selecting the Pope; a biography of Pope Benedict XVI, Holy Father; The Wisdom of St. Patrick; and the novel Conclave. He has been a frequent papal commentator on radio and TV for CBS News, FOX News Channel, NPR, and PBS. Read Less