50 Great Myths about Religions is an intriguing, informative, and often humorous introduction to some of the long standing myths that surround religious belief. This engaging book will get its readers thinking about how and why certain myths have arisen, and their continuing influence on our personal and collective view of religion.

Offers a lively, informative, and thought-provoking introduction to some of the common misbeliefs surrounding religions

• Discusses myths about religious belief in general, as well as specific ideas that surround Judaism, Christianity, Islam, atheism, and agnosticism
• Covers a wide range of myths, from ancient legends such as the Bible forbidding pork being eaten because it causes illness, to modern urban fables, such as Barack Obama being a Muslim
• Unpacks each myth in turn, explaining why it arose, how it spread, and why the beliefs that stem from it are questionable
• Includes a fascinating discussion about human nature, and the main characteristics that predispose us to create and circulate myths to begin with
• Underpinned by a wide knowledge of academic research, it is written by two respected religion scholars and experienced authors

About the Author

John Morreall is Professor of Religious Studies at the College of William & Mary, Virginia. His publications include Comedy, Tragedy, and Religion (1999, winner of the Choice Outstanding Academic Book in 2000), Comic Relief: A Comprehensive Philosophy of Humor (Wiley-Blackwell, 2009), and The Religion Toolkit: A Complete Guide to Studying Religion (with Tamara Sonn, Wiley-Blackwell, 2011).

Tamara Sonn is the William R. Kenan Distinguished Professor of Humanities in the Department of Religious Studies at the College of William and Mary. Her books include Interpreting Islam: Bandali Jawzi's Islamic Intellectual History(1996), Islam: A Brief History (2nd edition, Wiley-Blackwell, 2009), and The Religion Toolkit: A Complete Guide to Studying Religion (with John Morreall, Wiley-Blackwell, 2011). She is currently an editor of Oxford Islamic Studies Online and co-editor-in-chief of Wiley-Blackwell's Religion Compass.

Reviews

"...The authors have a serious and deep purpose. Moreover, they have set about the task with some sagacity. Conscious that many people are unwittingly captive to damaging half-truths in religious belief, they set the record straight on key issues and ideas, and, in so doing, have produced a lively book with a bracing and pacey text. It deserves to be widely read." (Church Times, 21 August 2015)

"For the non-religious amongst you, this book will provide to hand a ready set of information to counter the door-to-door religion sellers." (SFCrowsnest.org.uk, 1 June 2014)

"The Bonus Myths of the final section were mainly well - known and very cleverly handled, with erudition and humour. The Apocalypse is the End of the World; Cherubs are Cute, Childlike Angels; There was a Female Pope Named Joan; and a whole series of fabled statements attributed to the Bible, e.g. Cleanliness is next to Godliness; Hate the Sin, Love the Sinner; Money is the root of all evil; This too shall pass . . . and so on. Well worth reading whatever your faith or belief." (Nurturing Potential, 1 June 2014)

Book Information
ISBN 9780470673508
Author John Morreall
Format Paperback
Page Count 256
Imprint Wiley-Blackwell
Publisher John Wiley and Sons Ltd
Weight(grams) 336g
Dimensions(mm) 231mm * 153mm * 13mm