Contemporary religions focused on include Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Confucianism, and Taoism. The impact on world history of other figures, both mythical and historical, is revealed through coverage of such worshipped and worshippers as Tiamat, Enlil, Marduk, Gilgamesh, Ishtar, Ra, Horus, Osiris, Indra, Rudra-Shiva, Vishnu, Shang Ti, T ien, Yahweh, Elohim, Allah, Moses, John the Baptist, Paul, Constantine, Augustine, Aquinas, Luther, and Calvin.
Extensive bibliographies accompany the text.
Attorney John D. Loftin is a visiting lecturer in the department of religion at Duke University and has taught religious history for nearly two decades. From 1980 to 1985, he conducted field research at the Hopi Indian reservation in northeastern Arizona. He lives in Efland, North Carolina.