Hi all,
As an agnostic, I'm conflicted about religion. As a history lover, I'm fascinated by how religion has developed over the centuries and help shaped the modern world.
As someone with a family and a very full time job, going back to school to study history/theology isn't an option. So my question is which books would historians recommend to try and understand the development of religion over the ages alongside the historical backdrop associated with the world's major religions.
To be specific I feel I should start with Judaism/Christianity alongside Roman history first as I'm from Europe and already have some understanding.
Many thanks.
There are literally hundreds of books I could recommend, and each would bring something new to the table or provide a valuable perspective. However, I've quickly cobbled together the following list. I think if you read all these books, you would know a lot about the origins of Judaism and Christianity as well as the debates that exist today. They are all written from a secular critical perspective and do not promote any particular religious viewpoint. If it's too many books, just pick the first one in each list.
On ancient Israelite religion:
On early Christianity:
The subreddit has a list of books on religious history compiled by the flairs. I will ping /u/talondearg and /u/Celebreth and /u/gingeryid, but there are many knowledgeable people on the subreddit.