Religion has influenced human culture since prehistory, shaping everything from the politics of war and peace to notions of morality and issues of sex, reproduction, and family. On an individual level, it has also offered people a sense of meaning, purpose, and comfort, and even today, when science appears to offer answers to many of the world's conundrums, faith persists and many religions--including Christianity and Islam--are still growing. The Religions Book explains in a clear, accessible way more than 100 of the most important theological ideas, from those bound up in the earliest cultures to others that have emerged in the last few hundred years, along with all of the main tenets of the world's major faiths. In doing so, it considers key issues such as the problem of defining good and evil, the significance of suffering, creation and the afterlife ("Why are we here?" and "Why do we die?"), and the nature of God.--Publisher's description.

Includes index.

Introduction -- Primal beliefs from prehistory -- Unseen forces are at work : making sense of the world -- Even a rock has a spirit : animism in early societies -- Special people can visit other worlds : the power of the shaman -- Why are we here? : created for a purpose -- Eternity is now : the Dreaming -- Our ancestors will guide us : the spirits of the dead live on -- We should be good : living in harmony -- Everything is connected : a lifelong bond with the gods -- The gods desire blood : sacrifice and blood offerings -- We can build a sacred space : symbolism made real -- We are in rhythm with universe : man and the cosmos -- We exist to serve the gods : the burden of observance -- Our rituals sustain the world : renewing life through ritual -- Ancient and classical beliefs from 3000 BCE -- There is a hierarchy of gods and men : beliefs for new societies -- The good live forever in the kingdom of Osiris : preparing for the afterlife -- The triumph of good over evil depends on humankind : the battle between good and evil -- Accept the way of the universe : aligning the self with the dao -- The Five Great Vows : self-denial leads to spiritual liberation -- Virtue is not sent from heaven : wisdom lies with the superior man -- A divine child is born : the assimilation of myth -- The oracles reveal the will of the gods : divining the future -- The gods are just like us : beliefs that mirror society -- Ritual links us to our past : living the Way of the Gods -- The gods will die : the end of the world as we know it -- Hinduism from 1700 BCE -- Through sacrifice we maintain the order of the universe : a rational world -- The divine has a female aspect : the power of the great goddess -- Sit up close to your guru : higher levels of teaching -- Brahman is my self within the heart : the ultimate reality -- We learn, we live, we withdraw, we detach : the four stages of life -- It may be your duty to kill : selfless action -- The practice of yoga leads to spiritual liberation : physical and mental discipline -- We speak to the gods through daily rituals : devotion through puja -- The world is an illusion : seeing with pure consciousness -- So many faiths, so many paths : God-consciousness -- Nonviolence is the weapon of the strong : Hinduism in the political age -- Buddhism from 6th century BCE -- Finding the middle way : the enlightenment of Buddha -- There can be an end to suffering : escape from the eternal cycle -- Test Buddha's words as one would the quality of gold : the personal quest for truth -- Religious discipline is necessary : the purpose of monastic vows -- Renounce killing and good will follow : let kindness and compassion rule -- We cannot say what a person is : the self as constantly changing -- Enlightenment has many faces : Buddhas and bodhisattvas -- Act out your beliefs : the performance of ritual and repetition -- Discover your Buddha nature : Zen insights that go beyond words -- Judaism from 2000 BCE -- I will take you as my people, and I will be your God : God's covenant with Israel -- Beside me there is no other God : from monolatry to monotheism -- The Messiah will redeem Israel : the promise of a new age -- Religious law can be applied to daily life : writing the Oral Law -- God is incorporeal, indivisible, and unique : defining the indefinable -- God and humankind are in cosmic exile : mysticism and the kabbalah -- The holy spark dwells in everyone : man as a manifestation of God -- Judaism is a religion, not a nationality : faith and the state -- Draw from the past, live in the present, work for the future : Progressive Judaism -- If you will it, it is no dream : the origins of modern political Zionism -- Where was God during the Holocaust? : a challenge to the covenant -- Women can be rabbis : gender and the covenant -- Christianity from 1st century CE -- Jesus is the beginning of the end : Jesus's message to the world -- God has sent us his Son : Jesus's divine identity -- The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church : dying for the message -- The body may die but the soul will live on : immortality in Christianity -- God is three and God is one : a divine trinity -- God's grace never fails : Augustine and free will -- In the world, but not of the world : serving God on behalf of others -- There is no salvation outside the Church : entering into the faith -- This is my body, this is my blood : the mystery of the Eucharist -- God's word needs no go-betweens : the Protestant Reformation -- God is hidden in the heart : mystical experience in Christianity -- The body needs saving as well as the soul : social holiness and evangelicalism -- Scientific advances do not disprove the Bible : the challenge of modernity -- We can influence God : why prayer works -- Islam from 610 CE -- Muhammad is God's final messenger : the Prophet and the origins of Islam -- The Qur'an was sent down from heaven : God reveals his word and his will -- The Five Pillars of Islam : the central professions of faith -- The imam is God's chosen leader : the emergence of Shi'a Islam -- God guides us with shari'a : the pathway to harmonious living -- We can think about God, but we cannot comprehend him : theological speculation in Islam -- Jihad is our religious duty : striving in the way of God -- The world is one stage of the journey to God : the ultimate reward for the righteous -- God is unequaled : the unity of divinity is necessary -- Arab, water pot, and angels are all ourselves : Sufism and the mystic tradition -- The latter days have brought forth a new prophet : the origins of Ahmadiyya -- Islam must shed the influence of the West : the rise of Islamic revivalism -- Islam can be a modern religion : the compatibility of faith -- Modern religions from 15th century -- We must live as saint-soldiers : the Sikh code of conduct -- All may enter our gateway to God : class systems and faith -- Messages to and from home : the African roots of Santeria -- Ask yourself : "what would Jesus do?" : following the example of Christ -- We shall know him through his messengers : the revelation of Baha'i -- Brush away the dust of sin : Tenrikyo and the Joyous Life -- These gifts must be meant for us : Cargo cults of the Pacific islands -- The end of the world is nigh : awaiting the Day of Judgement -- The lion of Judah has arisen : Ras Tafari is our savior -- All religions are equal : Cao £ài aims to unify all faiths -- We have forgotten our true nature : clearing the mind with Scientology -- Find a sinless world through marriage : purging sin in the Unification Church -- Spirits rest between lives in Summerland : Wicca and the Otherworld -- Negative thoughts are just raindrops in an ocean of bliss : finding inner peace through meditation -- What's true for me is the truth : a faith open to all beliefs -- Chanting Hare Krishna cleanses the heart : devotion to the Sweet Lord -- Through qigong we access cosmic energy : life-energy cultivation in Falun Dafa.