How to Be a Perfect Stranger, 4th Edition: The Essential Religious Etiquette Handbook

The indispensable guidebook to help the well-meaning guest when visiting other people’s religious ceremonies—updated and revised. New Edition!
4th edition—Updated, Revised, Expanded—
New Glossary of Popular Religious Symbols

“Finally, for those inclined to undertake their own spiritual journeys … tells visitors what to expect.”

—New York Times

We North Americans live in a remarkably diverse society, and it’s increasingly common to be invited to a wedding, funeral, or other religious service of a friend, relative, or coworker whose faith is different from our own.

These can be awkward situations....

• What will happen? What do I do? What do I wear? What do I say?

• What should I avoid doing, wearing, saying?

• Is it okay to use a video camera?

• How long will it last?

• What are their basic beliefs?

• Will there be a reception?

• Will there be food?

• Should I bring a gift?

• When is it okay to leave?

These are just a few of the basic questions answered in How to Be a Perfect Stranger. This easy-to-read guidebook, with an “Everything You Need to Know Before You Go” checklist, helps the well-meaning guest to feel comfortable, participate to the fullest extent possible and avoid violating anyone’s religious principles—while enriching their own spiritual understanding.

For people of all faiths, all backgrounds.

African American Methodist Churches · Assemblies of God · Bahá’í · Baptist · Buddhist · Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) · Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) · Churches of Christ · Episcopalian and Anglican · Hindu · Islam · Jehovah’s Witnesses · Jewish · Lutheran · Mennonite/Amish · Methodist · Mormon (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) · Native American/First Nations · Orthodox Churches · Pentecostal Church of God · Presbyterian · Quaker (Religious Society of Friends) · Reformed Church in America/Canada · Roman Catholic · Seventh-day Adventist · Sikh · Unitarian Universalist · United Church of Canada · United Church of Christ

"The things Miss Manners forgot to tell us about religion."

—Los Angeles Times

"Enables the stranger to hold fast to the integrity of their own tradition while stepping onto someone else’s holy ground....Concise, informative, and eminently practical."

—Rev. Christopher Leighton, Executive Director, Institute for Christian-Jewish Studies

"The central idea here is excellent.... A perfect gift."

—Publishers Weekly

"Highly recommended."

—Library Journal

"[This] book couldn’t have come at a better time....A welcome Stranger."

—Chicago Sun-Times

"Highly recommended....We encourage all people of faith to read it, refer to it often, and use it as their guide when visiting other communities of faith."

—Rev. Ken Brookner Langston, Director of Education, The Interfaith Alliance

"Enables strangers to be better neighbors in a global community."

—Prof. John L. Esposito, Director, Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, Georgetown University

"You’ll never again feel uncomfortable attending services of a religion not your own, after reading this wonderful book."

—Rabbi Jack Bemporad, Director, Center for Christian-Jewish Understanding, Sacred Heart University, Fairfield, Connecticut