And Man Created God: A History of the World at the Time of Jesus

At the time of Jesus' birth, thousands of gods existed across the ancient world, competing and merging with one another. Rulers and populations alike turned to religion for order and stability. Selina O'Grady examines how religious belief shaped societies by exploring why empires adopted the religions they did. She investigates specific historical questions: Why did China's rulers embrace Confucianism, a philosophy rather than a religion? Why did Rome's emperors eventually adopt Christianity—a tiny Jewish cult with fewer than 100 followers at Jesus' death—rather than the far more popular cult of Isis? The Jesus movement should have disappeared within generations, yet it became the official religion of the Roman Empire and eventually the world's predominant religion. This history explores the connection between politics and religion throughout human history, examining why religions have had such profound impact on societies and how that relationship continues to define the modern age.