Wars, terrorism, aggressive intolerance, and social violence have accompanied humanity throughout history. Is religion, which is increasingly being blamed for this, to blame? History from the Stone Age to the present day reveals a complex picture. Religion, built into the state apparatus, already in early agricultural societies turns into an instrument of social oppression. Many crimes are committed in the name of religion; it has been used to justify colonization and slavery, pogroms and terrorist attacks. And at the same time, from century to century, faith softens morals and teaches us to see one’s neighbor not only in one’s own blood. Humanity owes it to religion that it became humanity without being stuck at the level of barbarism, where every tribe is surrounded by hostile tribes. This fascinating study of the history of the wars of religion and the role of religion in power and politics, written by world-renowned religious scholar Karen Armstrong, is an in-depth and unbiased account of the experiences of different religions: paganism, Judaism, Buddhism, Christianity and Islam.