A fresh insightful guide to Religion in a no-nonsense fashion brought to you by New Internationalist. In this book Symon Hill takes us knowledgeable through the history of world religion and offers interesting overviews of culture and faith in globalised society. Talk and reference to religion envelopes every aspect of society and it is important, now more than ever, to understand religious worldviews and perspectives of different faiths and cultures. Symon has explored religion and spirituality his whole life. His belief is that religious enquiry is about searching for truth and asking questions. Making a commitment to that continual quest for knowledge and experience. Very much in agreement on that. Spirituality, to me, is about experience, reflection and evolution of the self in the context of an ever changing world. Seeking truths and sharing widely. Seeking to maintain an open heart and free nature. Responding to challenges with courage, humility and honesty and committing to keep learning about life and improving life on earth for the greater whole. This evenings discussions centred around differences between religion and spirituality. The role of evolving spirituality in shaping religious doctrines. Discussions evolved on to say that spirituality can be the personal and the radical whereas religion being the dogma. But spirituality can at times radically overthrow the religious doctrines. Reminds me of the saying 'My Karma ran over my Dogma'. Its good to keep things fresh and to question what you believe, why you believe and the experiences and evidence for your beliefs. Symon briefly touched on the ability of open democracy and the digital age in shaping the exploration of religious ideas. It is now possible to connect with countless different worshippers, seekers, spiritualists around the world. Interesting ideas. while I accept that the digital world is great for accessing information, in my reality I'd rather worship off grid and in the real world. For me the world is my church and the spirit is everywhere. Discussions on religious conflict focused on the reality that the conflict is really over power. Power is a dominant theme throughout the book. It is sad to note that religion has upheld so many abuses over the centuries such as sexism, racism, homohobia, and countless other intolerances. So modern religious enquiry. A tool for liberty and freedom. So far i'm about 2 thirds through the book. It does exactly what it says on the tin and is thought provoking and easy to read. The chapter that has caught my eye is on 'Questions of Truth' and its relationship with scientific enquiry. Science has clearly brought, and continues to bring, immeasurable benefits to humankind. However it is also responsible for fuelling environmental destruction and war. While many assume Science to be a process of impartial observation this is often not the case and Scientists will be affected by background, education, views regardless of how open minded or unbiased they attempt to be. For a scientist to overlook cultural, political and economic contexts of research and innovation is as dangerous as is with religion. Food for thought undoubtedly! I thoroughly recommend this little read. And will get back to you with any further insights as I have them.