Church History, History, Christianity, Religion & Spirituality 

"And Man Created God" is a sweeping exploration of the changing religions of the empires and people of the world at the time of Jesus: a work of extraordinary richness and ambition, this is popular history at its best. When Jesus was born the world was in ferment: four great empires were undergoing the convulsions of globalisation. In the huge new multi-ethnic cities springing up across Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and Asia old allegiances and the traditions of family, village and tribe were being torn apart. Emperors struggled to create loyal subjects, merchants struggled to find their place in the new world order, the uprooted looked for new communities. They all turned to religion for the solution and the gods competed for their allegiance. This was a world rife with gods and messiahs, priests and warriors, elbowing their way around disrupted societies. "And Man Created God" takes the reader on a dazzling geographical and intellectual journey across the evolving empires and kingdoms of the ancient world. Through vivid evocations of individual rulers and holy men, O'Grady shows how emperors sought to shape religion to their ends, and how religion shaped emperors and their subjects. In Rome, Augustus was being turned into a god by his brilliant team of spin doctors. In what is now Sudan the plump warrior queen Amanirenas inspired her armies to trounce Rome by exploiting her status as a god. And in China the usurper Wang Mang won and lost the throne through his obsession with Confucianism. Messiahs, miracle workers, self-castrating priests, a wandering holy man more famous than Jesus in his day, O'Grady introduces us to all of them in this riveting account of the interplay of faith and power at the time of Jesus. And she answers the most urgent question of them all: why the tiny Jesus cult triumphed over far more popular religious allegiances - to the goddess Isis, to the miracle worker Apollonius, even to the personality cult of Augustus - to become the world's dominant religion. "And Man Created God" uncovers the ineradicable connection between politics and religion which still defines us in our own, not-so secular age. It is suitable for fans of Karen Armstrong, Mary Beard, Tom Holland and Diarmaid MacCulloch. - from Amzon