In this revised and expanded second edition, a team of distinguished scholars, assembled by the editor Oliver Leaman, have brought Ninian Smart’s masterpiece up to date for the twenty-first century. Chapters have been revised by experts in the field to include recent philosophical developments, and the book includes a new bibliographic guide to resources in world philosophies. A brand new introduction which celebrates the career and writings of Ninian Smart, and his contribution to the study of world religions, helps set the work in context.
Ninian Smart (1927 - 2001) was Emeritus Professor of Comparative Religion and of Religious Studies at the Universites of California and Lancaster. He was recognised as one of the world's foremost scholars in religious studies and was President of the American Academy of Religion for the year 2000. He authored many acclaimed books, including The Religious Experience, Dimensions of the Sacred and The World's Religions.
Oliver Leaman is Zanker Professor of Judaic Studies and Professor of Philosophy at the University of Kentucky. He has written and edited numerous books, including Key Concepts in Eastern Philosphy (Routledge, 1999) and the Encyclopedia of Asian Philosophy (2001).