This book examines the political and moral challenges that face the vast majority of human beings who consider themselves to be members of various nations. It explores nationality through the difficulties and conflicts that have arisen throughout history, and discusses nations and nationalism from social, philosophical, and anthropological perspectives. In this fascinating Very Short Introduction, Steven Grosby looks at the nation in history, the territorial element in nationality, and the complex ways nationality has co-existed with religion, and shows how closely linked the concept of nationalism is with being human.

斯蒂芬·格罗斯比，美国南卡罗来纳州克莱姆森大学宗教学教授。研究领域包括古代近东、希伯来文《圣经》、宗教和民族之间的关系，以及社会和政治哲学。著有《〈圣经〉中的民族性观念：古代和现代》（2002）等，合编有《民族性和民族主义》（2004）等。现任《民族和民族 主义》《族群与种族研究》《社会》等刊编委。