The A-Z of Believing: H is for Heresy

All orthodoxy was once heresy... Ed Kessler, head of the Woolf Institute, presents the eighth part in a series on belief and scepticism

More than 200 years ago, Voltaire warned: 'It is dangerous to be right in matters on which the established authorities are wrong' (Shutterstock)

Written and presented by Dr Ed Kessler MBE, founder director of the Cambridge-based Woolf Institute, this compelling guide to religious belief and scepticism is a must-read for believers and non-believers alike.

Founded in 1998 to explore the relationship between religion and society, the Woolf Institute uses research and education to foster understanding between people of all beliefs with the aim of reducing prejudice and intolerance.

Says Dr Kessler: “Latest surveys suggest that 85 per cent of the world’s population identify themselves as belonging to a specific religion, and in many parts of the world the most powerful actors in civil society are religious. Understanding religion and belief, the role they play and their impact on behaviour and decision-making is, therefore, vital.”