Three “orientations” sacramental, prophetic, mystical in Taoism and Judaism

Experiencing the World's Religions

"Experiencing the World's Religions" provides the clear and compelling account of religion as the diverse, lived experience by peoples around world. Global in its coverage, text conveys vitality and richness of world's religions as the living cultural wellspring that not only concerns systems of belief but how those beliefs are expressed in ceremonies, food, clothing, art, architecture, pilgrimage, scripture, and music. The text demonstrates why an understanding of world's religions enriches our lives. (Maisel 158)

In an engaging narrative emphasizing experience of religion, text takes students on the personal voyage through doctrines, history, religiously inspired arts, ceremonies, and everyday expressions of belief and combines these with powerful photographs from around globe. The text goes beyond traditional approaches to personally connect students with vitality of great religions and how they reach into lives of individuals and culture at large. This fourth edition has been methodically revised in both content and illustration, to address latest world events and political changes, and supply additional insight into present idea and practice. (Mendelsohn 55)

Judaism and Taoism

Judaism

Judaism is oldest religion of western world and has influenced Christianity and Islam. There are approximately fifteen million Jews throughout world. The Hebrews were ancestors of Jewish people and trace their ancestry to Abraham, who left his home in Mesopotamian city of Ur about 2200BC. The Hebrews were different from others of their time because they were monotheistic; they believed in only one God. The Hebrews believed they had the special relationship with their God and that they were his chosen people. The Hebrews established the nation they called Israel on eastern shore of Mediterranean Sea. About 1300BCE, many Hebrews moved to Egypt to escape the famine. (Lipset 169)

Stemming from descendants of Judah in Judea, Judaism was founded c. ...