Buddha, Jesus and Muhammad - Paperback

by Paul Gwynne (Author)

This cool, clear-sighted comparative study has no theological axe to grind. It offers a trusty thematic guide to the figureheads of three of the largest religions in the world.

• The comparative approach is descriptive and even-handed, highlighting both similarities and differences across a range of major areas.
• The thematic chapters cover: early life, followers, the core message, political attitudes, relations with women, and death.
• The engaging writing and descriptive approach make this an ideal text for students, instructors and general readers.

Back Jacket

This engaging and fascinating study compares the life and teaching of the Buddha, Jesus and Muhammad, the founders of three of the largest religions in the world. It explores how their lives, attitudes, and teachings, now followed by half of the world's people, relate to one another.

Despite the vast literature on each figure, there are surprisingly few comparative studies, making this insightful book ideal for those studying comparative religion. The author's descriptive and context-rich account illuminates key themes - political and historical, as well as religious - that established the impact and long-lasting effect of each figure. Fascinating similarities and differences are explored between the Buddha, Jesus and Muhammad, enriching our understanding and dispelling myths about both the individual figures and the nature of religion.

Author Biography

Paul Gwynne is Lecturer in Comparative Religion in the General Education Program at the University of New South Wales, Australia, where he is also affiliated to the Law School. He has taught theology and religious studies in Jogjakarta, Indonesia, and Melbourne, Australia. Dr Gwynne is the author of World Religions in Practice: A Comparative Introduction (Wiley-Blackwell, 2009), and Special Divine Action (1996).