I'd like to read a book which details the History of Religion. NOT a book on the ideas of religion and their history - more a book on the historical aspects of religion. How it spread from continent to continent, the sociological reasons it spread so successfully, the social repercussions/influences, the wars, the emergence of different denominations and cults within that religion, etc.
I'd like one that's written by quite a respected historian as I have had a look and a lot of these are written by representatives of a particular religion which is not what I am after. I need something impartial.
Mainly, I'd like a book that details this for Christianity and Islam (one which details all main religions, Buddhism, Hinduism and Sikhism, etc would be preferable but such a book would probably be bigger than the bible).
If you know of any book that deals with a single one of the main religions in this way that would also be great, but a book that covers both Christianity and Islam would (I assume) show how each religion heavily influenced each other with technologies, wars, philosophies, etc.
Thanks!
I'd like one that's written by quite a respected historian as I have had a look and a lot of these are written by representatives of a particular religion which is not what I am after. I need something impartial.
Mainly, I'd like a book that details this for Christianity and Islam (one which details all main religions, Buddhism, Hinduism and Sikhism, etc would be preferable but such a book would probably be bigger than the bible).
If you know of any book that deals with a single one of the main religions in this way that would also be great, but a book that covers both Christianity and Islam would (I assume) show how each religion heavily influenced each other with technologies, wars, philosophies, etc.
Thanks!