"A History of Religious Ideas" by Mircea Eliade is a monumental work that delves into the evolution of religious thought and beliefs across different cultures and epochs. It's part of Eliade's broader exploration into the phenomenon of religion, which he approached with a deep respect for the spiritual and mythological dimensions of human experience.

The book is divided into three volumes:

Vol 1, and 2 Translated by William R. Trask

Vol.3 Translated by Alf Hiltebeitel & Diane Apostolos-Cappadona 

Volume One: From the Stone Age to the Eleusinian Mysteries**: This volume covers the earliest forms of religious expression, examining primitive religious practices and beliefs up to the mysteries of ancient Greece. Publisher‏: ‎ University of Chicago Press; First Edition (April 15, 1981)

• Language ‏ : ‎ English, 508 pages, ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780226204017, ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0226204017

Volume Two:  From Gautama Buddha to the Triumph of Christianity**: This volume explores the religious ideas and developments from the time of Buddha in India through to the rise and spread of Christianity in the Roman Empire. Publisher ‏ : ‎ University of Chicago Press (January 15, 1985)

• Language ‏ : ‎ English, Pages‏580, ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0226204030,,ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0226204031

In volume 2 of this monumental work, Mircea Eliade continues his magisterial progress through the history of religious ideas. The religions of ancient China, Brahmanism and Hinduism, Buddha and his contemporaries, Roman religion, Celtic and German religions, Judaism, the Hellenistic period, the Iranian syntheses, and the birth of Christianity—all are encompassed in this volume.

Volume Three: From Muhammad to the Age of Reforms: The final volume traces the evolution of religious ideas from the emergence of Islam to the Renaissance and the Reformation.  Publisher ‏ : ‎ University of Chicago Press; 1st edition (March 15, 1988)

• Language ‏ : ‎ English,367 pages,ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0226204057,ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0226204055

Volume 3 completes the immensely learned three-volume A History of Religious Ideas. Eliade examines the movement of Jewish thought out of ancient Eurasia, the Christian transformation of the Mediterranean area and Europe, and the rise and diffusion of Islam from approximately the sixth through the seventeenth centuries. Eliade's vast knowledge of past and present scholarship provides a synthesis that is unparalleled. In addition to reviewing recent interpretations of the individual traditions, he explores the interactions of the three religions and shows their continuing mutual influence to be subtle but unmistakable.

As in his previous work, Eliade pays particular attention to heresies, folk beliefs, and cults of secret wisdom, such as alchemy and sorcery, and continues the discussion, begun in earlier volumes, of pre-Christian shamanistic practices in northern Europe and the syncretistic tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. These subcultures, he maintains, are as important as the better-known orthodoxies to a full understanding of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

Eliade's approach in "A History of Religious Ideas" is deeply scholarly yet accessible, blending insights from history, anthropology, psychology, and comparative religion. He emphasizes the universality of certain religious themes and symbols across different cultures, highlighting how human beings have sought to understand and relate to the sacred throughout history.

Overall, the book is essential reading for anyone interested in the study of religion, offering a comprehensive and insightful overview of religious ideas and their cultural contexts throughout human history.

 Product Details:

Trade Paperback: In very good condition, clean, unmarked, and unbent. May show side rubbings and age tanning, else intact.