There are many conflicts around the world at present which claim to be in the name of God - in Iraq, in Syria, in Gaza, as well as elsewhere. However, Rabbi Lord Sacks argues forcefully that a true understanding of religion will enable and inspire us to bring peace, not war - that far from leaving religion on the sidelines, we must put it at the heart of our peacemaking efforts. From Darwinian evolution to game theory, Sacks shows how the common human problem - that we pass on our genes as individuals, but can only survive in groups - drives a tendency to violence which can subvert even the most loving of religions; but as he explores the biblical stories that underpin monotheism he uncovers the hidden truth that even as God establishes his own chosen people, so his sympathies and his protection are as much or more upon the losers and the apparently disadvantaged.-- Provided by the publisher.