GODS AND EMPIRES

A three-volume narrative history of world religions — from the Neanderthal graves of the Ice Age to the megachurches, meditation apps, and religious nationalism of the twenty-first century.

Why did our ancestors bury their dead with flowers sixty thousand years ago? How did a merchant's vision in an Arabian cave launch a faith that now spans every continent? Why did medieval scholars preserve the philosophy of ancient Greece while Europe descended into darkness? And why — after centuries of revolution, science, and secularism — does religion remain the most powerful force shaping human civilization?

Gods and Empires tells the complete story of humanity's search for meaning across thirty thousand years and every major religious tradition: Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Zoroastrianism, Confucianism, Taoism, Sikhism, and dozens more. This is not an encyclopedia or a survey course. It is a narrative — filled with extraordinary characters, dramatic turning points, and discoveries that overturn everything you thought you knew about the history of faith.

You will stand in painted caves where Ice Age artists worked in total darkness. You will watch empires rise and fall in the name of God. You will meet prophets, mystics, heretics, warriors, and ordinary believers whose choices shaped the world. And you will confront the central mystery that runs through every chapter of this story: why do human beings believe?

Drawing on the latest archaeology, translated primary sources, and expert scholarship, Gods and Empires brings the full sweep of religious history to life with a depth and vividness that makes the past feel immediate.

Volume I — Dawn of Faith (Prehistory–500 CE) Volume II — Kingdoms of Faith (500–1500 CE) Volume III — The Modern Spirit (1500 CE–21st Century)

Gods and Empires

A Global History of Religions: Volume III — The Modern Spirit (1500 CE–21st Century)

From the series: GODS AND EMPIRES

A compelling narrative history of religion in the modern world — from the Reformation and the Enlightenment to fundamentalism, secularism, and the global resurgence of faith.

In 1517, an unknown monk challenged the most powerful institution in Europe. He expected to be silenced. Instead, he shattered a thousand years of religious unity and...

Learn More

Gods and Empires

A Global History of Religions: Volume I — Dawn of Faith (Prehistory–500 CE)

From the series: GODS AND EMPIRES

A sweeping narrative history of world religions from prehistoric cave rituals to the rise of Christianity, Buddhism, and the classical empires of faith.

Sixty thousand years ago, someone placed flowers on a Neanderthal grave. They had no writing, no cities, no agriculture. But they already believed something lay beyond death. That quiet act of...

Learn More

Gods and Empires

A Global History of Religions: Volume II — Kingdoms of Faith (500–1500 CE)

From the series: GODS AND EMPIRES

A vivid narrative history of medieval religion across the globe — from the birth of Islam and the Crusades to Zen Buddhism, Sufi mysticism, and the cathedrals of Gothic Europe.

In the seventh century, a new religion erupted from the Arabian desert with a force that stunned the known world. Within a hundred years, Islam stretched from the Atlantic...

Learn More