Paths of the Sacred: A Global History of Faith and Power

Across 33 chapters, Paths of the Sacred traces how rituals, scriptures, and sacred spaces became the machinery of governance—from Çatalhöyük’s painted burial rooms and Hammurabi’s stone code to Ethiopian imperial myths, Haitian Vodou councils, Pacific navigation guilds, and climate justice ceremonies in Tuvalu. Vilhelm Lee blends archaeology, legal archives, travelogue, and contemporary fieldwork to show how kings, monks, prophets, and activists have used belief to levy taxes, launch diplomacy, and resist oppression. Maps, sidebars, and a pronunciation glossary keep the story accessible while revealing the negotiations hidden inside temples, mosques, shrines, and digital sanctuaries. This is a narrative history for readers who want to see how faith, law, and power have moved together from prehistory into the climate crisis. Read more