The Buddha, Confucius, Jesus, and Muhammad each founded a system of thought which in its own way has shaped the lives and thinking of countless generations across the world. This unique volume presents four self-contained studies of the founders of the world's greatest religious traditions. Originally written for the Past Masters series, these authoritative studies provide a unique guide to some of the most influential ideas in human history. Each of the contributors explores the distinctive features of the particular religious tradition and reveals why it has had such a profound and lasting influence on the way people think today. Founders of Faith provides new insights into the different ways in which men and women in both the East and West have sought to make sense of some of the most intractable problems of human existence.