Robert Wright presents a groundbreaking examination of religion through the ages.
Contents
pt. 1: The birth and growth of gods. The primordial faith ; The shaman ; Religion in the age of chiefdoms ; Gods of the ancient states -- pt. 2: The emergence of Abrahamic monotheism. Polytheism, the religion of ancient Israel ; From polytheism to monolatry ; From monolatry to monotheism ; Philo story ; Logos: the divine algorithm -- pt. 3: The invention of Christianity. What did Jesus do? ; The apostle of love ; Survival of the fittest Christianity ; How Jesus became savior -- pt. 4: The triumph of Islam. The Koran ; Mecca ; Medina ; Jihad ; Muhammad -- pt. 5: God goes global (or doesn't): The moral imagination ; Well, aren't we special? -- Afterword: By the way, what is God? -- Appendix: How human nature gave birth to religion.
