A History of Religious Ideas, Vol. 3

Erik Eliade covers many religions in his three-volume A History of Religious Ideas. He shows the movement of Jewish thought out of ancient Eurasia, the Christian transformation of the Mediterranean area and Europe, and the rise and diffusion of Islam from approximately the sixth through the seventeenth centuries. Along with reviewing recent interpretations of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, Eliade explores the interactions of these three religions and shows their continuing mutual influence to be subtle but unmistakable. In addition to discussing heresies and folk beliefs—such as alchemy and sorcery—he talks about pre-Christian shamanistic practices in northern Europe. Eliade was a scholar who studied Eastern Orthodoxy and Buddhism as well as Roman Catholicism. His writing is clear, concise, and easy to understand.