The Religions of the World and Their Relations to Christianity

The Religions of the World and Their Relations to Christianity (1847) derives from a series of eight lectures by the renowned theologian and political radical F. D. Maurice (1805-1872). They were given in a series established by Robert Boyle in 1691 as a stipulation of his will and intended ‘for proving the Christian Religion against notorious Infidels’. Maurice both abides by and transforms this charge, examining ‘the great Religious Systems … not going into their details … but enquiring what was their main characteristical principle.’ In this important early work of comparative religious scholarship, Maurice investigates the theological foundations of the major world religions - Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and Judaism - as well as what he calls the ‘defunct’ faiths of ancient Greek, Rome, Egypt, Persia and Scandinavia. The resulting text is a rich work of theological enquiry and a valuable testament to a central nineteenth-century religious thinker.