The year 2000, a bench-mark date in Christian civilization, prompted researchers to offer a scholarly look at the significance of religion in our civilization, past and present. The religious factor is examined from various scientific viewpoints--ethnological, historical, sociological, archaeological. It is seen that God, or whatever one might prefer to call him, or her, has historically assumed many different shapes and sizes in our civilization and that his cultural presence has impacted significantly upon our culture, art, and way of thinking.