Beliefs that Changed the World: The History and Ideas of the Great Religions - Hardcover

How did Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism come to be the world's dominant religions? What are the real beliefs of Islam, and the different branches within it? Who were the key figures of Judaism? And how are religious beliefs shaping today's world conflicts? Beliefs that Changed the World will answer the key questions about the great religions, from Bahai to Unitarianism, via Jainism, Mormonism, Shinto and the major branches of Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism. Not only will this book explain what the disciples of each faith believe, but it will provide the reader with a greater understanding of the wider themes of religious and world history. Each chapter comprises an overview of the central tenets of each religion, key quotations from its core beliefs, and a historical depiction of each faith, from its earliest beginnings to its latest incarnations and impact on the modern world.

John Bowker is a former Professor of Theology at Cambridge University and the editor of the Oxford Dictionary of World Religions and the Dorling Kindersley Companion to the Bible. His book The Meaning of Death received the HarperCollins Religious Book Award and his numerous other titles include What Muslims Believe, God - A Brief History and The Sacred Neuron.