In the scholarly study of religion, myths are described as sacred stories that convey central religious beliefs and are not intended to be scrutinized for scientific or historic validity. But in everyday language, myths are false beliefs. False beliefs about religions are the topic of this book. As with all areas of human life, religion is a realm where questionable ideas sometimes develop into widely held beliefs. Some are innocuous - such as St Patrick driving snakes out of Ireland - but others have been deadly, such as the medieval myths that fostered anti-Semitism. This lively and illuminating book looks at 50 widely held beliefs about religions, unpacking their origins, showing how they spread, and discussing why they can be questioned. Some of the myths are centuries old and others - for example, that Barak Obama is a Muslim - are more recent. Together, they provide a fascinating and sometimes surprising picture of the perceptions and misconceptions that circulate about religions.
The authors, respected religion scholars John Morreall and Tamara Sonn, focus on myths from Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, but also cover some Western perceptions of Eastern religions, as well as atheism. Carefully and lucidly, they examine 50 views drawing on commonly held misbeliefs, ideas found to be questionable in the light of historical research, and false beliefs about religions held by people outside those communities. There is also a fascinating discussion of the important role played by myth in religion, and its significance for human nature more generally.
