The Men Who Invented Religion

What is religion?

Mark Twain said, “Religion consists in a set of things which the average man

thinks he believes and wishes he was certain of." St. Augustine evaded giving an

answer at all. Perhaps for the true believer it is the relation of human beings to God

or the gods or to something they feel is sacred but which provides a context for life.

From the Pharaoh Akhenaten in c.1320BC, religion has been a way to control

the masses by making them believe in a future reward. Napoleon realised that all

religions are man-made and have the benefit of keeping the poor from murdering

the rich. Hitler and Stalin both used the Church cynically for their own personal

benefit, sure that science would eventually destroy all religions.

This book looks at the powerful men without any religious conviction themselves

who had the greatest influence. It includes such figures as Alexander the

Great and Cyrus of Persia, both Messiahs to the Jews, Constantine, the father of

Christianity who remained a pagan until his deathbed and Mohammed who forgot

his Jewish connexions and beliefs.