https://fromtheheartofeurope.eu/living-with-the-gods-by-neil-macgregor/

A lovely book, based on a BBC Radio series of the same name, lavishly illustrated (as the radio cannot be) with photographs of art and architecture, and enriched by quotes from commentators who know what they are talking about. Some people like to simply dismiss religion as at best a distraction and at worst a force for conflict and division; MacGregor doesn’t shy away from that side of things, but he goes deep into what religious people are actually doing – symbolism, practice, history, politics. He draws some very interesting parallels between religions separated by continents and centuries.

I found it a very healthy perspective on what is and isn’t unique to each of the main strands of world belief. It’s also a surprisingly light read, despite its length and weight, perhaps because of its origin as radio scripts. Recommended. ( )

impressively illustrated but in my opinion relatively shallow view of the role of religion in human life in most societies. ( )

Although I have dipped into his other books and listened to his History of the World in 100 objects, this is the first of MacGregor's book that I have read properly.
Constructed as 30 chapters covering a variety of aspects to religions, it provides enlightening approaches to religious belief by looking at different objects held mainly in the British Museum's collection (as he was director of the museum and so is most familiar with these), but also elsewhere.
Extremely knowledgeable and (for me) well thought out explorations of human beliefs through time, but all provided in easily read sections.
The only failing is my own in not being able to remember so much, but a very worthwhile and enjoyable read.
I read the hardback edition which was well laid out and illustrated.

For example from the chapter on "Rejecting the Image, Revering the Word" (page 295): The life changing image is a very loose cannon. It was partly for this reason that most Protestant reformers were profoundly hostile to them. Like many religious movements, they believed that the only reliable way of communicating the truths of religion was by the word: the image was a danger to true faith and best destroyed. ( )