Meta-Religion is a groundbreaking text that brings power and politics to the fore of our understanding of world religions, placing religion at the center of world history. This synthetic approach is both transformative and enlightening as it presents a powerful model for thinking differently about what religion is and how it functions in the world.

Table of Contents

• Acknowledgement
• List of Illustrations
• Preface
• Introduction
• PART ONE. RELIGION AND EMPIRE IN ANTIQUITY, 330 B.C.-710 A.D.
• Timeline: RELIGION AND EMPIRE IN ANTIQUITY
• 1. Alexander and Ashoka: Cosmopolitan Empires and Religious Policy from Egypt to India, 330-230 B.C.
• 2. Imperial Religion: China to Rome, 250 B.C.-250 A.D.
• 3. The Debate over Dharma: Hindus and Buddhists Compete for Ideological Dominance in South Asia
• 4. Confessional Religion and Empire before the Rise of Islam
• 5. The Rise of Islam and the Early Caliphate, 622-711 A.D.
• PART TWO. THE ISLAMIC MILLENNIUM, 700-1700 A.D.
• Timeline: THE ISLAMIC MILLENNIUM
• 6. Imperial Islam, 690-1500 A.D.
• 7. The Great Islamic Empires of the Early Modern Era (ca. 1500-1700)
• PART THREE. THE MODERN WORLD
• Timeline: THE MODERN WORLD
• 8. Putting Religion in Its Place, I: Reformers, Kings, and Philosophers Challenge the Church
• 9. Putting Religion in Its Place, II: Revolution and Religious Freedom
• 10. The Contemporary Era: The Worldwide Regime of Meta-Religion
• Conclusion
• Suggested Readings