The book was published by The Abingdon Press, New York, Cincinnati, Chicago and printed in the United States.

PREFACE:A SMALL book was published in 1918 entitled The Faiths of Mankind. It belonged to a series of College Voluntary Study Courses, and was prepared with that end in view. Since that time the desire has been repeatedly expressed that the writer prepare a volume with a wider public in view. The needs of the general reader and ministers were to be kept in mind as well as students in their college and seminary courses. Coming directly out of contact with students in the classroom, it is inevitable that the form of the present book and the selection and arrangement of material should be determined by that experience.

The guiding principle has been not to overload the text with a multiplicity of facts, but to select and make use of such facts as are relevant to the main lines of development, and to make clear their meaning and relationships. To interpret facts has been looked upon as important as to present them. One of the man problems with students is to prevent the confusion which results from presenting great quantities of material which they are not prepared to assimilate and make use of intelligently.

An introductory chapter on “The Nature of Religion” has been included. No doubt such a subject can only be handled with satisfaction in a volume devoted to its consideration, but even a rapid survey as is presented here may make for more intelligible than would otherwise be possible the studies of religions which follow. The historical method is adhered to throughout. The underlying purpose has been to show how religion has developed in the history of the world rather than to trace the development of any single: Preface continues in book.

Below additional information on the Author:EDMUND DAVISON SOPER:

Soper was born in Tokyo, Japan, of American Methodist missionary parents. Following graduation from Dickinson College, Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and Drew Theological Seminary, Madison, New Jersey, he first expressed his lifelong interest in fundamental problems of the Christian world mission as field secretary of the Missionary Education Movement (1906-1910). Beginning in 1910 as professor of missions and comparative religion at Ohio Wesleyan University, he was known as an engaging teacher. This continued in later years, at Drew Theological Seminary, Northwestern University, Duke University, and Garrett Biblical Institute; he also served visiting professorships in India, Singapore, and Manila. As the seventh president of Ohio Wesleyan University (1929-1937), he helped that Methodist institution emerge from the Great Depression with strength.

Soper’s greatest contribution to missiology was through his writings, honed by years of interpreting the Christian mission to undergraduate and theological students. He thoroughly revised The Religions of Mankind (1921) in 1938 and 1951 in light of contemporary scholarship. In his textbook The Philosophy of the Christian World Mission (1943), he defended the uniqueness of Christianity and its continuity with other religions as a middle ground between William Ernest Hocking and Hendrik Kraemer. In two works–Lausanne: The Will to Understand (1928) and Racism: A World Issue (1947)–he introduced to a wider audience the cutting edges of ecumenical thought.

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As noted above the Hard Cover Book contains 344 clean pages, some with pencil notes or underling of sentence. The bindings are tight. The hardcover is fine with good bindings. Please view photos for condition. The books weight is 1 lb 5 oz. The book size is 8 1/2 x 5 3/4 x 1 1/2 inches.

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