The influence of the world's religions has had tremendous historical and cultural repercussions since the dawn of human society. This volume collects dozens of short, well-researched biographies of the faith leaders who have had the greatest impact on their respective followers, nations, regions, and the world at large. Young readers not only learn about notable leaders of the various strands of Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism, but also read about the contributions of offshoot sects and more obscure religions. Taken together, these collected biographies offer a chronological and big-picture view of how faith has defined humanity for thousands of years.