Beginning with the ancient philosopher Plotinus, this volume surveys the great thinkers of the world from late antiquity into the Middle Ages. In his treatises, Plotinus commented on the religious beliefs of his day, including the use of magic. Readers will also find the life stories of the Christian Saint Augustine, the Muslim philosopher Avicenna, the Buddhist teacher Shinran, and the Jewish philosopher Moses Maimonides. The book ends with a biography of John Dus Scotus, a Scottish philosopher and Franciscan friar. Readers are sure to gain an appreciation of the influential ideas that secured these philosophers a place in history.