The profile of religion in the public sphere is increasing around the world. Few believe any more that religion as a feature of human existence will fade away in due course, to be replaced by a purely rational approach to life. In a multi-religious country such as India, faith was hardly thought of as a private matter. But it was hoped that it would at least be possible to exclude it from public life in a secular state that it would become primarily a matter of personal concern, like one s interest in art or music. But this has not happened. Religion has become a vital element in identity politics globally after the terror attacks of 11 September 2001 in the United States of America. And so the question of how religious tolerance may be secured in the modern world can no longer be avoided. Can religious tolerance be placed on a firmer footing by finding grounds for it within the different faiths themselves? This book addresses that question. In Religious Tolerance: A History, Arvind Sharma examines Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Confucianism, Daoism and Shinto whose followers together cover over two-thirds of the globe to identify instances of tolerance in the history of each of these to help the discussion proceed on the basis of historical facts. This is a timely book the first of its kind in scope and ambition.