本书为英文版。它讲述了宗教史上的对立与融合、迫害与反迫害，历来是个复杂而敏感的问题。房龙以他犀利的眼光，从不同宗教派别的冲突中去寻找背后的深层根源。最终他看到：历史上的宗教改革家假以“宗教改革”的名义，对一切不利于自己发展的思想创新进行残酷迫害，这种精神上的不宽容导致的恰是他们的“敌人”犯下的那些错误。借助于房龙的“宽容”之眼，我们不难对宗教史乃至一切精神文化现象的发展有一个清晰的轮廓。

PROLOGUE

CHAPTER Ⅰ.THE TYRANNY OF IGNORANCECHAPTER

CHAPTER Ⅱ.THE GREEKSCHAPTER

CHAPTER Ⅲ.THE BEGINNING OF RESTRAINTCHAPTER

CHAPTER Ⅳ.THE TWILIGHT OF THE GODSCHAPTER

CHAPTER Ⅴ.IMPRISONMENTCHAPTER

CHAPTER Ⅵ.THE PURE OF LIFECHAPTER

CHAPTER Ⅶ.THE INQUISITIONCHAPTER

CHAPTER Ⅷ.THE CURIOUS ONESCHAPTER

CHAPTER Ⅸ.THE WAR UPON THE PRINTED WORDCHAPTER

CHAPTER Ⅹ.CONCERNING THE WRITING OF HISTORY IN GENERAL AND THIS BOOK IN PARTICULARCHAPTER

CHAPTER Ⅺ.RENAISSANCECHAPTER

CHAPTER Ⅻ.THE REFORMATIONCHAPTER

CHAPTER XⅢ.ERASMUSCHAPTER

CHAPTER XⅣ.RABELAISCHAPTER

CHAPTER XⅤ.NEW SIGNBOARDS FOR OLDCHAPTER

CHAPTER XⅥ.THE ANABAPTISTSCHAPTER

CHAPTER XⅦ.THE SOZZINI FAMILYCHAPTER

CHAPTER XⅧ.MONTAIGNECHAPTER

CHAPTER XⅨ.ARMINIUSCHAPTER

CHAPTER XⅩ.BRUNOCHAPTER

CHAPTER XⅪ.SPINOZACHAPTER

CHAPTER XⅫ.THE NEW ZIONCHAPTER

CHAPTER XXⅢ.THE SUN KINGCHAPTER

CHAPTER XXⅣ.FREDERICK THE GREATCHAPTER

CHAPTER XXⅤ.VOLTAIRECHAPTER

CHAPTER XXⅥ.THE ENCYCLOPEDIACHAPTER

CHAPTER XXⅦ.THE INTOLERANCE OF REVOLUTIONCHAPTER

CHAPTER XXⅧ.LESSINGCHAPTER

CHAPTER XXⅨ.TOM PAINECHAPTER

CHAPTER XXⅩ.THE LAST HUNDRED YEARS