Editorial: Puzzling history
Would life be better if we knew all the answers?
Faith & Religion
Hatefest
We must prevent the UN being unravelled by bigotry and conflict, argues Ian Williams
God Trumps Part II
Still struggling to choose the top religion? Pigeonhole yourself for all eternity with the second part of our cut-out-and-keep metaphysical card game. Devised by Christina Martin, illustrated by Martin Rowson
From Fatwa to Jihad by Kenan Malik
Lindsay Johns is impressed by Kenan Malik's take on Rushdie and race
Book Review: Questions of Truth: God, Science and Belief by John Polkinghorne and Nicholas Beale
AC Grayling rips into the latest attempt to bridge the God-science gap
In praise of the coup
Military takeovers can be a good thing for African democracy. Paul Collier makes the case
On the trail of the red pilgrims
The philosopher Michail Ryklin tells Caspar Melville what really motivated communism's faithful followers
Muslim metal
Across the Islamic world young people are flocking to the sounds of hardcore rock and death metal. Mark LeVine reports from Cairo
Three-Letter Plague by Johnny Steinberg
Andrew Mueller enjoys some journalism with a human touch
Bad Faith Awards 2008
Following a tough campaign and a hard-fought election, we can finally announce last year's most scurrilous enemy of reason