Chapter I, Point of Departure, Summary and Analysis

The first chapter of The World's Religions consists of notes by the author explaining his intentions in writing about the world's religions. These notes are essential in order to comprehend the subsequent chapters, each given to a specific description of a world religion. In the notes, Huston states that the purpose of the book is not to evaluate the various religions, but rather to describe "well-defined themes" (p. 2) in each of the religions discussed. He categorically states that the work is not intended to be a history of religion. The focus is on ideas that are the base of the various religious systems examined. A further important point he makes in the notes is that an arbitrary limit has been placed on the number of divisions within each religion under consideration. Economically, he...