Saturday, February 7, 1998

Etiquette books offer information on dealing with other faiths

By Mark I. Pinsky / The Orlando Sentinel

America's spiritual complexion is changing so quickly -- the combined result of immigration, intermarriage, transience and "seekers" choosing new faiths -- that one often needs a religious scorecard to tell the players at home or at work.

Gayle Colquitt White offers just such a scorecard in "Believers and Beliefs: A Practical Guide to Religious Etiquette for Business and Social Occasions" (Berkley, New York).

"In an increasingly multicultural world, our co-workers and neighbors -- even members of our own families -- may be part of belief systems that are new to us," explains White, longtime religion writer at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

White covers 27 different faiths in this 242-page paperback, which is divided into two sections: Christians and other major world religions.

Confucianism is not included in her book, according to White, "because it is often regarded as more of a philosophy than a religion;" Unitarianism is excluded because it has "few requirements and little dogma."

Each chapter of "Believers and Beliefs" offers a brief history of the faith or denomination, along with the essentials of theology and doctrine and selected passages from sacred writings of each faith or denomination. There are also quick guides to holidays, dress, dietary laws, individual and community worship, the place of men and women. White includes information on conversion, a suggested reading list and material on birth, weddings and funerals, which she calls "milestones."

"As we share each other's lives, we are invited to mark each other's milestones," says White. "And many of these are grounded in our religions."

The publishing industry is one telling indicator of the growing diversity of American religious life. White's book is the third such comprehensive guide released in just two years.

In 1996, the first of these handbooks appeared, "How to Be a Perfect Stranger: A Guide to Etiquette in Other People's Religious Ceremonies" (Jewish Lights, Woodstock, Vermont.) That pioneering work, edited by former Baltimore Sun editor Arthur Magida, covered 20 faiths and denominations. A second volume, adding 17 faiths and denominations, was published in 1997 and a paperback edition is under consideration. "Multicultural Manners: New Rules of Etiquette for a Changing Society" (Wiley), written by Los Angeles Times columnist Norine Dresser, was also published in 1996.

"These books are a reflection of the increasing religious pluralism in America," said Lynn Garrett, religion editor of Publishers Weekly. "Books like this designed to help us become more culturally sensitive."

Phyllis Tickle, an author and longtime industry observer agrees.

"What these books say is that we are marrying and forming families outside a specific denominationally oriented faith, that we are making friends outside of our congregational families," said Tickle.

"Believers and Beliefs" demonstrates that there is still room on the reference bookshelf for one more of these guides, especially one that expands our understanding of other faiths.

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(c) 1998, The Orlando Sentinel (Fla.).

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