Despite religion being a core theme of many contemporary debates, a solid and settled definition of the concept has not yet been reached. Nevertheless, it is regularly assumed that, because of their common characteristics, we are able to recognize religious phenomena when we see them. For example, it is often supposed that religion is primarily based on faith, that religion conflicts with science, and that the world would be a lot less violent without religions. Yet, no matter how widespread such assumptions might be, in the end, they turn out to be incorrect. What we think about religion does not correspond to what religion really is. Offering many concrete examples from different traditions, Religion: Reality Behind the Myths dispels the main misunderstandings, breaches the contemporary opposition between secular versus religious and presents a novel view on the essence of religion.

Jonas Atlas is a Belgian scholar of religion who writes and lectures on religion, politics and mysticism. Though rooted within the Christian tradition, Jonas immersed himself in various other traditions, from Hinduism to Islam. After his studies in philosophy, anthropology, and theology at different universities, he became active in various forms of local and international peace work, often with a focus on cultural and religious diversity.

Jonas currently teaches classes on ethics, spirituality, and religion at the KDG University of Applied Sciences and Arts. He is also an independent researcher at the Radboud University, as a member of the Race, Religion, and Secularism network.

His previous books include "Re-visioning Sufism," which reveals the politics of mysticism behind the contemporary portrayal of Islamic spirituality, and "Halal Monk: a Christian on a journey through Islam," which gathered a series of interreligious dialogues with influential scholars, artists, and activists from the Islamic world. The latter won the 2015 Belgian Religious Book of the Year audience award.

Jonas is also the host of (both Dutch and English) podcast series on religion and contemporary spirituality.

You can find an overview of his English publications, listen to his podcasts and subscribe to his newsletter on www.jonasatlas.net