This fourth edition provides readers with an up-to-date understanding of the relationship between religion and politics in today's society. Topics include: the founding and spread of Islam; the Koran; Hadith and Islamic law; branches of Islam and their basic beliefs; Muslim customs and rituals and Islam and the modern world.

Zoroastrianism, the smallest of the world's great religions, is also one of the oldest, having been founded 3,000 years ago by the prophet Zarathustra. Its influence on other faiths has long been acknowledged, with its concepts of one God, heaven and hell, good and evil, a saviour to come and everlasting life featuring in many.

This third edition traces Catholicism and Orthodox Christianity from their roots to the present day. The central doctrines are explored as background to such current issues as the child abuse scandals of the American Roman Catholic Church and the tensions over abortion, gay marriage and the declining number of priests being ordained.

This fourth edition presents the basic beliefs of the Jewish religious heritage and highlights the different manners in which these traditions can be upheld. Topics include: the modern Jewish world; early history of the Jews and Judaism; the Diaspora; the Hebrew Bible; the branches of Judaism and their basic beliefs and the future.

Founded in 1863, the Baha'i faith is one of the fastest growing, having increased from 200,000 followers in 1950 to over five million today. The religion's central belief is in the unity of all religions and the abolition of racial, class and religious prejudices. This new third edition explores all aspects of the faith.

This new fourth edition tells the story of Buddhism's origins and its development into three major schools of thought. It explores the concept of the 'socially enlightened Buddhist'; the growth and practice of Buddhism in America and the recent revival of Buddhism in Asia as well as giving an overall view of the faith.

Dismissed as irrelevant by communist China, Confucianism is experiencing a resurgence in China and around the world. Founded 2,500 years ago, Confucianism was a system of ethical behaviour which evolved into one of the great spritual traditions of the East. This fourth edition traces it from its roots to the present day.

One of the oldest and most complex of world faiths, Hinduism is the religion of four fifths of India's population as well as other communities around the world. This fourth edition covers topics such as: religion and politics in India; the roots of Hinduism; Hindu customs and beliefs; Hindu nationalism and Hindu gods and devotionalism.

Native American religions consist of a set of basic attitudes which relate people to their natural surroundings. This third edition presents the history of Native American religions from their roots as tribal religions through the detremental effects of European colonisation to their sudden restoration in the 20th century.

This third edition explores the origins, customs and history of Protestantism from its beginnings in the Middle Ages to its role in today's world. It examines, within the tenets of the faith, topics such as new religious denominations; abortion; the ordination of gays and women and the relationship between religion and politics.