Book review analysis and critical assessment

¶ … Worldviews, Crosscultural Explorations of Human Beliefs by Ninian Smart.

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Understanding and being understood are significant factors when studying human beings. This Professor Ninian Smart was a distinguished professor at the University of California in Santa Barbara. In his book, Worldviews, which was published in 1981, he discusses the globalization of religion and the growing interest in religious studies. He espouses to the belief that it is a basic human need to want to be understood, regardless of religious or ideological persuasion. Smart believes that as we continue to globalize our world, peoples of diverse cultures, religions and perspectives will be brought together and at some point will not be able to ignore their differences.

Let's consider what Religious Studies embody. Basically, it is an attempt to foster an awareness of the nature of religion and the religious experience and to cultivate an understanding of the religious life of people in all the diverse religious communities of the world. Cultures are often shaped by religion, permeating daily life.

Smart considers the study of religion as a voyage of discovery in which the demands of understanding the phenomena of religion are imperative to creating what he calls a worldview.

In the book, he cites an American Indian proverb that accurately summarizes his view of how human interactions. "Never judge a man until you have walked a mile in his moccasins."

To fully understand another, Smart believes that you must endeavor to experience what that person has, through open dialogue and interaction. He believes in empathy and showing a genuine concern for attempting to understand other "worldviews."

The book discusses the effects of the new globalism and the adaptations that will be necessary on a large-scale basis for integrating the "global village," if for nothing less than survival. Religious studies examines man's relationship to man. Globalism and technology alone have taken away the barriers according to Smart and just as there are advantages to that, this new globalism has also created conflicts between peoples.

Smart's book does focus on the positive aspects of creating a new cross-cultural environment -- the sharing of knowledge, past experiences, traditions, religious beliefs and all of the other factors associated with diversity. The idea that it is indeed a small world becomes more than a euphemism. Cultures begin to blend and even those living in less civilized environments are propelled into the 20th century by default.

Political ideologies and economic principles are catapulted into this new global village, where democracy and Communism overlap and integrate, taking the best from both worlds. Understanding has to be part of this new globalism if human beings are to enlist their fellowmen into creating a total worldview, where empathy and understanding are implemented to create a workable cross-cultural environment.

Smart employs a multi-disciplinary approach to his idea of "worldview," one where religious and secular ideologies are overcome and a commitment to develop understanding overshadows conflict and competition.

Smart's philosophy was that we as human beings need to be multi-dimensional and have an open perspectival view of the world, particularly when in comes to religious studies. In actuality, he created the terminology "worldview analysis" as a description of Religious Studies.

In addition, the book emphasizes his belief that religion, which has always played a role in man's world, would allow us to move into the 21st century with the ability to overcome some of the obstacles that man previously faced.

Smart's book supports the ideas of nationalism but goes beyond geographic barriers and conceptualizes the idea of world nationalism. One global community that would support diverse ideas, diverse cultures and diverse religions. He believes that empathy is necessary to developing global understanding, which is fundamental to accepting religious ideologies.

Although he was a brilliant thinker, Worldviews seems more like a textbook rather than a scholarly work on Religious Studies. The information contained in the book does not shed any new light on many of the religions or the methodology for studying different ones. Smart was faced with a formidable task in attempting to cover so much information regarding religion and the issues surrounding religious studies.