One hundred and fifty years of cruelty. In the mid-16th century, the church celebrates the genocidal conquest of Latin America. In Europe, almost all Christian powers are at war. The witch hunts are reaching their peak; the Jesuit order becomes the main actor of the Counter-Reformation. This volume concludes with the catastrophes of the 17th century: the Thirty Years' War, soon followed by a second. "Unfortunately, there is nothing comparable in this material richness and accuracy for any other religion in the world... It is certainly not an exaggeration when Munich philosophy professor Wolfgang Stegmüller referred to Karlheinz Deschner as the 'most significant church critic' of the 20th century." Karl Corino in his laudation on the occasion of the awarding of the Wolfram von Eschenbach Prize to Deschner. "Deschner is perhaps the most uncompromising author and thinker in the German-speaking world.".