Understand the Religions of the World from Christian Perspective and Be Equipped to Engage their AdherentsChristians live their faith more than ever in a pluralistic religious context. How should a Christian respond to the complex spiritual alternatives available today? Are all religions the same? Does the New Age fulfill the second coming of Jesus? Is Sun Myung Moon sinless? Is Islam a religion of peace? Is Mormonism true? Is Scientology a religion? How does the Dalai Lama view Jesus? Do witches worship Satan? Is the pope infallible? These and other crucial issues are examined in Nelson's Illustrated Guide to Religions.Nelson's Illustrated Guide to Religions covers more than 200 religions, sects, and cults, most of them ones the reader might encounter on any given day. Key features include: Historical information on each major religion with detailed timelinesProfiles of each group's primary leadersAn inventory of key principles and beliefs of each religionAn analysis and critique of religions from a Christian perspectiveOpinion and commentary on the controversial issues related to specific religious groupsRecommended resources-- bibliographic information and extensive Internet sources for further studyNew groups explored--including The Lord Is Our Righteousness Church and the Sold-Out Discipling MovementTen Tests for Truth in Religions--a set of multifaceted tests that Christians should apply when approaching the faith traditions of others--and their own faith This volume offers both description and evaluation of the hundreds of religions in today's spiritual marketplace and provides basic data on the major world religions: Baha'iBuddhismChristianityHinduismIslamJudaismNew AgeSikhism.Nelson's Illustrated Guide to Religions also explores the major divisions within Christianity (Roman Catholicism, Orthodoxy, and Protestantism) and provides an introduction to over twenty-five Protestant denominations. The book examines famous sectarian movements including: the Branch Davidian, Christian Scientist, Jehovah's Witness, Mormon, and Unification Church movements. The occult worlds of Witchcraft and Satanism are analyzed as well.In addition to basic information, the reader has access to critical analysis of the controversies that arise in the debates about various religious groups and leaders. The author addresses the new evangelical-Mormon dialogue, the Emergent Church controversy, Local Church debates, Catholic-Evangelical tensions, the integrity of Seventh-d