Ten Great Religions

Contents.


Chapter I.

Introduction.--Ethnic and Catholic Religions.

§ 1. Object of the present Work
§ 2. Comparative Theology; its Nature, Value, and present Position
§ 3. Ethnic Religions. Injustice often done to them by Christian
Apologists
§ 4. How Ethnic Religions were regarded by Christ and his Apostles
§ 5. Comparative Theology will furnish a new Class of Evidences in
Support of Christianity
§ 6. It will show that, while most of the Religions of the World are
Ethnic, or the Religions of Races, Christianity is Catholic, or
adapted to become the Religion of all Races
§ 7. It will show that Ethnic Religions are partial, Christianity
universal
§ 8. It will show that Ethnic Religions are arrested, but that
Christianity is steadily progressive


Chapter II.

Confucius and the Chinese, or the Prose of Asia.

§ 1. Peculiarities of Chinese Civilization
§ 2. Chinese Government based on Education. Civil-Service Examinations
§ 3. Life and Character of Confucius
§ 4. Philosophy and subsequent Development of Confucianism
§ 5. Lao-tse and Tao-ism
§ 6. Religious Character of the "Kings."
§ 7. Confucius and Christianity. Character of the Chinese
§ 8. The Tae-ping Insurrection
Note. The Nestorian Inscription in China


Chapter III.

Brahmanism.

§ 1. Our Knowledge of Brahmanism. Sir William Jones
§ 2. Difficulty of this Study. The Complexity of the System. The
Hindoos have no History. Their Ultra-Spiritualism
§ 3. Helps from Comparative Philology. The Aryans in Central Asia
§ 4. The Aryans in India. The Native Races. The Vedic Age. Theology
of the Vedas
§ 5. Second Period. Laws of Manu. The Brahmanic Age
§ 6. The Three Hindoo Systems of Philosophy,--The Sankhya, Vedanta,
and Nyasa
§ 7. Origin of the Hindoo Triad
§ 8. The Epics, the Puranas, and Modern Hindoo Worship
§ 9. Relation of Brahmanism to Christianity


Chapter IV.

Buddhism, or the Protestantism of the East.

§ 1. Buddhism, in its Forms, resembles Romanism; in its Spirit,
Protestantism
§ 2. Extent of Buddhism. Its Scriptures
§ 3. Sakya-muni, the Founder of Buddhism
§ 4. Leading Doctrines of Buddhism
§ 5. The Spirit of Buddhism Rational and Humane
§ 6. Buddhism as a Religion
§ 7. Karma and Nirvana
§ 8. Good and Evil of Buddhism
§ 9. Relation of Buddhism to Christianity


Chapter V.

Zoroaster and the Zend Avesta.

§ 1. Ruins of the Palace of Xerxes at Persepolis
§ 2. Greek Accounts of Zoroaster. Plutarch's Description of his Religion
§ 3. Anquetil du Perron and his Discovery of the Zend Avesta
§ 4. Epoch of Zoroaster. What do we know of him?
§ 5. Spirit of Zoroaster and of his Religion
§ 6. Character of the Zend Avesta
§ 7. Later Development of the System in the Bundehesch
§ 8. Relation of the Religion of the Zend Avesta to that of the Vedas
§ 9. Is Monotheism or pure Dualism the Doctrine of the Zend Avesta
§ 10. Relation of this System to Christianity. The Kingdom of Heaven


Chapter VI.

The Gods of Egypt.

§ 1. Antiquity and Extent of Egyptian Civilization
§ 2. Religious Character of the Egyptians. Their Ritual
§ 3. Theology of Egypt. Sources of our Knowledge concerning it
§ 4. Central Idea of Egyptian Theology and Religion. Animal Worship
§ 5. Sources of Egyptian Theology. Age of the Empire and Affinities of
the Race
§ 6. The Three Orders of Gods
§ 7. Influence upon Judaism and Christianity


Chapter VII.

The Gods Of Greece.

§ 1. The Land and the Race
§ 2. Idea and general Character of Greek Religion
§ 3. The Gods of Greece before Homer
§ 4. The Gods of the Poets
§ 5. The Gods of the Artists
§ 6. The Gods of the Philosophers
§ 7. Worship of Greece
§ 8. The Mysteries. Orphism
§ 9. Relation of Greek Religion to Christianity


Chapter VIII.

The Religion of Rome.

§ 1. Origin and essential Character of the Religion of Rome
§ 2. The Gods of Rome
§ 3. Worship and Ritual
§ 4. The Decay of the Roman Religion