Books in the Wiley Blackwell Brief Histories of Religion series

3,000 years of ideas about the nature of love in Western culture are brought together in this concise history. By blending the works of many scholars and examining the significant lives, works, and movements associated with love, Love: A Brief History Through Western Christianity traces the evolution and impact of this timeless topic.

This unparalleled introduction to cults and new religious movements has been completely up-dated and expanded to reflect the latest developments; each chapter reviews the origins, leaders, beliefs, rituals and practices of a NRM, highlighting the specific controversies surrounding each group.

Sufism: A Global History is a unique account of global Sufism, tracing the gradual spread and adaptation of Sufi Islam through the Middle East into Central Asia, India, Southeast Asia, Africa, and in the 20th century Europe and America.

This brief history connects the past and present of utopian thought, from the first utopias in ancient Greece, right up to present day visions of cyberspace communities and paradise.

The Reformation: A Brief History is a succinct and engaging introduction to the origins and history of the Protestant Reformation.

This accessible and enlightening history provides insights into the fascinating genre of apocalyptic literature, showing how the apocalypse encompasses far more than popular views of the last judgment and violent end of the world might suggest.

Tracing the life and influence of one of Christianity's most important figures throughout the major periods of its history, this book explores the changing interpretations of Paul and his work, and in doing so throws new light on his writings and on religious history. The impact of the apostle Paul on Christianity is enormous.

Jesus: A Brief History reveals how Jesus and his story have been received over the past two millennia. Author W. Barnes Tatum traces how Jesus, a Galilean Jew, born when the ancient Roman Empire ruled the Mediterranean world, has come to be honored as the Christ and recognized around the globe by billions at the outset of the twenty-first century.

"No history of ethics, and in particular, a history of Christian ethics can be purely 'history'. Rather it is as it should be an argument about how we need to think in order to act well as Christians. We are quite fortunate to have Michael Banners book because it is an incisive contribution to this project.

Although stereotyped as an aspect of colonialism, Christian missions brought about massive shifts in the nature of Christianity, which by this century has become a religion largely practiced outside the west. This illuminating book provides a brief history of Christian missions and their relationship to the current globalization of Christianity.

Engagingly written by one of the world s leading scholars in this field, this comprehensively revised edition tells the story of Christian spirituality from its origins in the New Testament right up to the present day.

This accessible guide to the development of Japan's indigenous religion from ancient times to the present day offers an illuminating introduction to the myths, sites and rituals of kami worship, and their role in Shinto's enduring religious identity.

For over seven centuries, Dante and his masterpiece, The Divine Comedy, have held a special place in Western culture. The poem is at once a vivid journey through hell to heaven, a poignant love story, and a picture of humanity's relationship to God. It is so richly imaginative that a first reading can be bewildering.

The act of death itself and the rituals surrounding it vary enormously and shed a fascinating light on the cultures of which they are a part.

Charting the rise and development of Christianity, Carter Lindberg has succeeded in writing a concise and compelling history of the world's largest religion. He spans over 2,000 years of colorful incident to give an authoritative history of Christianity for both the general reader and the beginning student.

Features the rise of the cult of saints in Christianity from its origin in the age of the martyrs down to the present day. This ranges over subjects as diverse as the history of canonization processes, the Reformation critique of the cult of saints, and the role of saints in other religious traditions.

This short and accessible book introduces readers to the problems of heresy, schism and dissidence over the last two millennia. The heresies under discussion range from Gnosticism, influential in the early Christian period, right through to modern sects.

The concept of heaven has had an enormous impact on popular culture in the west, both religious and secular. This engaging and highly accessible book by one of today's best-known Christian writers explores the history of heaven, from its origins in biblical writings right up to the modern day.

Now available in a fully-revised and updated third edition, Islam: History, Religion and Politics, provides a comprehensive and engaging introduction to the core teachings, historical development, and contemporary public struggles of Islam.