I had read and heard a lot about this book before actually buying and reading it. In eight closely reasoned, carefully explained chapters the author (a Harvard professor active in interreligious dialogue and open to any and all intelligent religious ideas) sets out the case for religious pluralism. She does this primarily by rational argument but also by personal and anecdotal narration, some recent history of interreligious dialogue, sound theological reflection, and sociological analysis.

In chapters subtitled The Meaning of God's Manyness and The Fire and Freedom of the Spirit she describes the many dimensions of humankind's connectedness to the transcendent and the variety of ways cultural differences assist us in our search for the absolute.

Her seventh chapter outlines in satisfying detail the three general attitudes members of a given religious community might hold toward those of other faiths: exclusivism, inclusivism, and pluralism. Pluralism is clearly the most desirable of the three, and she examines this stance by distinguishing it from other dispositions to which it bears a superficial resemblance but with which it should not be confused. Pluralism is not simply plurality or merely tolerance: it presupposes both. Nor is it relativism or syncretism. Eck emphasises the importance of interreligious dialogue, on which genuine pluralism is necessarily based and from which it flows.

In her final chapter the author shows why all this should make important differences in the way we live and interact with each other. This is a beautiful essay on religious praxis (not to be confused with practice) calling for radical changes in our minds and hearts (truth and value) that should enable all of us to live together creatively, with dignity, and in full appreciation of what it means to be human. This book can be recommended not only for those who profess a religious faith, but also, perhaps especially, for those who do not.

This book is likely to become a cult classic. It is a series of meditations at the same time it is a journal from the author's erstwhile journey of faith. Never abandoning her roots in Montana Methodism, Diana Eck follows the many paths of faith she finds at her feet. She steps forward always without fear and with a profound curiosity which she shares with her reader and with which she calls her reader to reexamine where they have been, and where they are and where they are going with the life that has been given to them.

The book is not preachy, but it is reverent. While the touchstone is Christianity, the author's own centering point, the scope is as all encompassing as the author's travels, geographically (Benarais, Japan, Europe, Australia, Boston, you name it) and spiritually (Buddhism, Hindi, Islam, shakti, you name it).

The Ms. Eck explores her personal journey in a completely inviting way to help the reader understand the profound threshhold at which the world's religions now find themselves. They can no longer be said to have an opportunity for dialogue, but an imperative to dialogue. We know each other too well and have too much to learn from each other to not share with each other. She shows us that while we need to speak in our own language of faith, we need to exert all the effort we can to hear people of other faiths in their language, and maybe we will then find them moving toward us or us moving toward them or us all moving to a new place.

The book is superbly organized, showing that Eck has used her years as a professor (and scholar) of comparative religion at Harvard to the best advantage. The Names of God, The Faces of God, The Breath of God, all provide frameworks in which she compares and contrasts the viewpoints of serious seekers from many, many faiths as they follow their hearts Home.

It is a wonderful guided tour for those who want to know more about other faiths. It is a compelling call to reflect on your own faith.

Two cautions: You may need to set aside extra time to work your way through this book. You are likely to find yourself, without warning, sitting in your favorite reading chair, not reading, but contemplating whatever.

Caution Number Two: This book might change your life. You may not be able to avoid the temptation to do something about what you have been contemplating.

Not to fear: You will be doing the right thing.

I read this book after returning from India, and have been kicking myself ever since for not reading it BEFORE my trip. Eck gets all the way around the fascinating but sometimes-puzzling religions of Hinduism and Buddhism in a way that makes them understandable and vibrantly real to a western audience. Her personal and theological reflections enabled me (an observant, American Christian) to look at these "strange" faiths and find God in them.

The book was interesting, especially the way the photographs were incorporated in with the text, however for a person with knowledge of the Hindu religion, it is a boring and redundant book. Concepts and ideas are greatly simplified for the uninformed reader, so the book is not very appropriate for one with much knowledge of Hinduism. Ideas tended to be overstated and overexplained. In my opinion, the book could've been half its size and still been just as clear, concise and in-depth.

Diana Eck is one of the West's greatest writers on Hinduism. In this little book, Darsan..Seeing the Divine Image in India, she captures the essence of Hindu devotion. She is not an apologist; rather, she sees Hindu religious practice just as a Hindu would, perhaps with an even more enlightened understanding. There is a great deal of information that most Hindus would not be aware of. Bringing God into an image for worship is anathema to western cultures and religions. Yet it has been part of Hinduism and Paganism for thousands of years. Diana Eck reveals the nature of image worship, from the selection and consecration of the image, to the actual practice of Hindu devotion. Image worship is part of daily life for hundreds of millions of people today. I cannot think of a better book than this one to help develop a compassionate and enlightened understanding of the practice. It will be part of my home library always. Raja Bhat

This book could have been a winner, and in many ways, it still is. There is no doubt that America has changed and is now home to the most pluralistic religious environment in the world. Eck has done a great job researching the growth of American Hindus, American Buddhists and American Muslims throughout the United States. Her anecdotes about visiting many of these congregations and the observations she has are very interesting and informative.

Overall, I can't give the book that great of a rating because Dr. Eck is so caught up in the astounding growth of these religions that she often fails to utter a negative comment about any of them. Now I realize that every reviewer brings their own biases, and in my case, I'm very suspicious of any organized religion. While I respect the power of religion to do an incredible amount of good in this world, on Spet. 11, we also saw the amount of evil that can be accomplished "in the name of God."

While this book was written before Sept. 11, she turns a blind eye to the bad side of religion. For example, would the keepers of Islam's most holy places welcome an independent woman like Eckk in Saudi Arabia? Another example of this problem is in her description of the Hare Krishna movement. Finally, she recounts in a very sypmathetic manner, how some Islamic groups claimed government harassment when they were accused of financially supporting Hamas.

Overall, I have no problem with Islam, or Hindus or Buddhists. I just think that when criticism of these religions is warranted, it should be mentioned just as it should be with Christianity. The idea of religious plurality and tolerance is a great goal, the problem is that many religions are intolerant by nature, and Eck fails to bring that up in her book.

Finally, at the end of the book Eck recounts a news story from Garden Grove, California and quotes the city's Mayor. Garden Grove is a city of more than 150,000 people and it is one of the nation's most diverse cities. The Mayor, whose name is Bruce Broadwater, is identified in the book as Paul Brockwater. That kind of sloppiness in a scholarly publication is disheartening and it makes me wonder if similar mistakes were made regarding others with whom I am not as familiar.

In suumary, this is an important subject which needs further study. This book is helpful in providing a surface-level anecdotal approach to religious pluralism but is also a failed opportunity to achieve more.

This book is emphatic and compelling in its story telling. Dr. Diana Eck writes this great book with a goal to create a unified society out of all the diversity of religion and race in America. The aim is to eradicate all the stereotypical and prejudicial views that most Americans have about the newly emerging minority religions in America. The author tries to do this by first providing a general awareness of all the religions at stake, namely Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam. She does so by discussing all of them in great detail, mainly concentrating on showing off their true color. She then encourages a sense of understanding and tolerance towards a religion, not once own, and focuses consistently on this to achieve coexistence not just among all Americans but all people living in America. To emphasize the significant importance of cohesiveness among multi-religious people of America, Eck writes: "America's religious diversity is here to stay, and most important phase of our nation's history lies ahead. The very principles on which America was founded will be tested for their strength and vision in the new religious America. And the opportunity to create a positive multi-religious society out of the fabric of a democracy, without the chauvinism and religious triumphalism that have marred human history, is now ours."(Pg 383). All in all, this book would be an attractive read for anyone and everyone, regardless of their background.

This is one of the best books on religion in America I have ever read. This author focuses on Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, who have been growing quickly in recent years. In the past decades mosques & temples have been poping up all over, even in the most Christian parts of this country. The author gives a good history on how the religion was established here, and its growth. Her view into the daily lives of these people was fascinating. I am truly inspired how these religious people, hold true to their values, along with American values at the same time.