More than at any other time in history, readers are educating themselves on the world's major religions and what each believes. Hinduism, Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, and Islam often seem at odds with each other, and as readers struggle to understand, The Complete Idiot's Guide (R) to World Religions, Third Edition, provides expanded and updated coverage to answer their questions. Expert comparative religion authors Toropov and Buckles provide the perfect companion for answering today's questions about both major and lesser-known religions and beliefs. Along with parts on each of the major five religions-describing history, rituals, celebrations, holy documents, deities, and structure-there is coverage of Asian paths of belief, non-scriptural religions, ancient creeds, and earth-based religions still practiced in Asia, Africa, South America, and island nations, as well as Europe and North America. New coverage includes a discussion of "hot button" issues such as abortion, gay marriage, sexual issues, violence, women, children, family, and ethics, and what the major religions have to say about each; the views of religious extremism across all religions along with an extensive comparative discussion of God (in various forms) and war, information on how each major religion views the afterlife, an expanded sections on Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism plus new coverage of mystic religions such as Santa Rita.