World Religions: What Every Christian Needs to Know

By Gerald R. McDermott, 144 pages, Bakerbooks.

McDermott's World Religions breaks away from the current bland multicultural reading of religions, and gives the various belief systems a Christian-based judgment. The history, theology, ethics, and varieties of each religion is explained, before McDermott offers the Christian view of what these various religions lack. This honesty and integrity is important for inter-religious exchange. World Religions contains some information about inter-religious dialogue.

McDermott respects the various faith traditions by, for example, showing how each one has many diverse groups and traditions. He suggests that Hinduism, in its vast diversity, be called Hinduisms, since its broad diversity means that it cannot be called one religion.