The Meek and the Militant: Religion and Power Across the World

by Paul N. Siegel

Everyone knows that Marx wrote, “religion is the opium of the people,” but all too frequently this aphorism is regarded as exhausting what he and Engels had to say on the subject. In fact, they presented a penetrating critique of religion that explains its origin and persistence. —from the preface This classic volume sheds much-needed light on a topic of renewed the impact of religion on politics, whether Islam in the Middle East or right-wing Christian fundamentalism in North America. Paul Siegel (1916–2004), a writer and activist, published numerous books on literature and politics, including Shakespeare in His Time and Ours (1968).

Genres: Religion, Politics, Philosophy, Nonfiction, Christianity

260 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1986

About the author

Paul Noah Siegel (1916, Paterson, New Jersey – 2004) was an American Marxist, a Professor emeritus of English and a distinguished Shakespeare scholar. And he is the author of several books on those subjects [...]

Reviews

[Sam Berner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliantly concise and informative.

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant well-rounded history of religious beliefs and the systems that produced them

[Andrew Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Marxist account of the historical development of religious ideas and practices. Impressively spans thousands of years across the globe. Explains both sides of Marx's recognition that religion could be both 'the opium of the masses' and 'the heart in the heartless world - the sigh of the oppressed.'

[Ethan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great Marxist history of religion, showing its contradictory nature as both a vehicle for the revolutionary struggle for liberation and a rampart of reaction.