Philosophers and Religious Leaders: An Encyclopedia of People Who Changed the World

From Library Journal
Von Dehsen (religion, Carthage Coll.) gathers biographies of "200 men and women from the areas of religion and philosophy who have changed the world." Page-long biographies of world figures like Moses, Muhammad, Jesus, and the Buddha are accompanied--perhaps arbitrarily (or is it for reasons of political correctness?)--by much lesser personages such as Michel Foucault, Mary Daly, and Jacques Derrida. Nevertheless, this partially illustrated work is a helpful ready-reference source, containing succinct biographies with short bibliographies plus time lines marking the individual's life in the context of contemporaneous events. The book's most useful feature is probably its inclusion of some important religious figures--e.g, Rabbi Menachem Schneerson, the leader of the Lubavitch Hasidim, and Nanak, the founder of Sikhism--whose biographies are not usually found in standard or easily accessible sources. Useful for both public and secondary school libraries.-Donald Altschiller, Boston Univ. Lib. Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Latest volume in Lives and Legacies: An Encyclopedia of People Who Changed the World profiles more than 200 individuals, ranging from Abraham and Akhenaton to Pope John Paul II and Ayatollah Khomeini. We reviewed the first volume in the series, Scientists, Mathematicians, and Inventors, in our April 1, 1999, issue.

Catholic Library World, March 2000
"The organization . . . is superb. . . . concise, well-written, historically accurate information. . . .An excellent reference work that is highly recommended for secondary, post-secondary, parish and public libraries. Those librarians who opt to make this purchase might want to consider adding to their reference collection the first volume, covering mathematicians and inventors, and other volumes yet to come."

Review
...helpful ready-reference source....most useful feature is probably its inclusion of some important religious figures....whose biographies are not usually found.Library Journal

Book Description
How did Elijah Muhammad's establishment of the Nation of Islam affect the civil rights movement in the United States? Philosophers and Religious Leaders answers that question and others as it presents 200 leaders whose lives and work have greatly influenced the world we live in today. Profiles include: Muhammad Abduh--architect of Islamic modernism. Mary Daly-- influential feminist theologian and philosopher. Mary Baker Eddy--founder of Christian Science. Mencius (Meng K'o)--Confucian moral philosopher and interpreter. Shang Yang--Chinese philosopher of legalist school.

About the Author
CHRISTIAN D. VON DEHSEN is a professor of religion at Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin.


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This volume begins with an introductory essay followed by about 200 illustrated profiles, arranged alphabetically. Each profile includes a discussion of the person's work and the influential societal forces; a summary of the impact of his or her work on those who followed; and a timeline listing important dates in the individual's life as well as a bibliography of the major works on the subject. A bibliography, general timeline, and geographic, discipline, and name/concept indexes conclude the work. Von Dehsen is a professor of religion at Carthage College. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)


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