World Religions and Cults (Box Set)

After exhausting other books on different religions, we opted to try these and loved them. My 9th grade student enjoyed reading a chapter a day and orally telling me what she learned from them. We did not use the teacher guide. It was a wealth of info, I wish we would have found it before we started with the other books, and I would have gladly used the teacher guide.

This material continues to stay on our family bookshelf and my husband has even referenced it in some of his college papers!

This is a great read for moms and dads or students. The books can be used for all levels of learning and the chart is incredible.

This is a great series, and we are looking forward to doing this as an elective course to be included on the high school transcript. Really important studies and knowledge for the kids to be armed with as they go out into the world.

I bought these books to add to my references. I know these books will help me understand other religions and how to approach people in a kind and loving way as I share the gospel.

We have looked for something like this for years and were excited to order it. My adult daughter and I have been reading them and are really enjoying them and thankful for the information. The books are full of information but easy to read and understand. Thankful for this resource! *We didn't even realize there was a study guide until recently.

What a fascinating collection of thorough discriptions of the religions of the world. With an amazing and precise outlining of the beliefs of Biblical Christianity as a comparison. Each chapter describes the specific religion, has a comparative list of main points in which they differ, and are very clear. I thought it would be dry, but found myself intrigued with the religions of friends and family that I hadn’t before then had any understanding of. An amazing shoring up of knowledge to use in apologetics to help others.

I bought these 3 books from the scratch & dent section. They are an excellent resource and I highly recommend them. It opened my eyes to views and opinions that I didn't even know existed. It helped to improve my understanding of other religions.

A review of Comparative Religions by MasterBooks that consists of three books titled World Religions and Cults Volume 1-3

I first came across this set of books when forming my scope and sequence for my high school students. I knew I wanted Apologetics and Bible in every year so as to keep my children sharp in the Word. But then the book made a splash on a Social Media page for support for MasterBooks when someone questioned its hardline stance on certain things. Please re-read this, I did not say legalistic stance but rather hard-line; meaning an uncompromising view of the Scriptures. I was so impressed with the stand that MasterBooks took that, if I had not already been, I would become one of their biggest supporters and advocates! So, when the books and teacher guide were offered for review I jumped on the chance. This would mean an opportunity to read the material a full year before I had planned to purchase it for our own homeschool use.

First being a mom that is finishing up a degree that includes a Biblical Studies Minor has meant countless hours in classes on theology, doctrine, the history of Christian thought, the history of the church and of course a rather lengthy comparative religions course – I can say with confidence that this course section is at the collegiate level and most likely exceeds some collegiate level courses in its explanation. Saying this I need to qualify it with the fact that Bodie Hodge is a writer that, while writing about rather deep and sometimes difficult subject matter, always is able to present it in an easy to read format that anyone can read, understand and walk away with some basic knowledge. In fact, my experience with Bodie Hodge’s writing is that most of the time the active student is driven to the Scriptures to study more, to formulate their own questions that lead to an internalization of God’s Word and a better ability to “defend” or refute the secular world view they are so often bombarded with.

Offered first as a set of stand-alone books these three volumes with a teacher guide are now offered as a course for grades 11 and 12 as a full year credit in Apologetics or Biblical Studies. I would also say this would fall under other subjects. The course work is simple enough but thought provoking as it asks a student to really think through issues and formulate their own opinions.

In a world where there are so many different versions of religion, so many different denominations and sects how do our children or even ourselves discern Truth from heresies? I could not help but think of a quote from Brother Andrew as I read these books,”You can't use strong-arm tactics against the church without strengthening it. It's always been that way. Under persecution a man looks at his faith to see if it's worth fighting for, and this is a scrutiny Christianity can always withstand. The real danger comes with an indirect attack, where a person is lured away from the Church before he has a chance to become strong.” This real danger is also in the form of subtle changes to the Truth and this has always been the trouble, since the first century till now. These heresies are so close to the Truth, shadow the Truth so well that it would be easy to be deceived into thinking they are the same as the Truth. That is what is so great about these books and even greater now that it is an actual course with worksheets. The student, whether adult or teen, will come away with a greater knowledge of other religions and cults. This will include an understanding of their history, their basic beliefs and how best to witness to those immersed in these false belief systems.

I highly recommend this to anyone looking to better understand not only other religions but also Christianity,

In a day when lines are blurred and nothing is black or white, it's more important than ever to know the truth. A common belief is that all roads lead to God--that one can be a part of any religion and, as long as they are sincere, they're fine, but the Bible clearly teaches that there is one God, and one way to Him: His Son, Jesus Christ. Even the label "Christian" doesn't necessarily mean that one is truly a follower of Christ. Many call themselves Christians when they don't even believe or practice the basics teachings of Christ. In order to know the difference between the true and the false, and to instruct our children and to reach others with the gospel, we need to understand which beliefs are Biblical and which are not, and we must have at least a basic understanding of false doctrine. It can be intimidating to attempt self-education; there are so many different religions and off-shoots of those religions, and the amount of information available is overwhelming and difficult to sift through.

Enter World Religions and Cults by MasterBooks. These books address the need for concise, comprehensive information so well. I was able to access the ebook versions of the three books in exchange for an honest review. I haven't had the time to read through all three yet, but what I've read I've loved. There is so much information packed in these pages! I am learning so much, and I'm eager to learn more. I will be adding these books to the Bible/Apologetics courses my children will be taking this year and in the future. I truly believe that these books will equip them to face a confused and questioning world with confidence, and most importantly, aid them in reaching out to others with the gospel! I highly, highly recommend these books.

Thank you, New Leaf Publishing Group, for my review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.