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A Study of History, Vol. 2: Abridgement of Volumes VII-X

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Yes, Toynbee's point of view is a bit archaic. Yes, there are more detailed, more comprehensive studies of history done since his work. And, yes, even the abridgment is heavy reading. But the overview of civilizational development and decline done by Toynbee is unmatched anywhere. The second volume of the abridgment, written 60 years ago and describing civilizations going back thousands of years, is full of glaringly obvious parallels and invaluable insights into what is happening in the world today. Get both volumes of this superb work.

Mr Toynbee feels that the cumulative progression through two to three stages of civilizations is in order to advance the discovery of higher religions; and that they reveal the One True God. He admits that science has removed god from astronomy, cosmology, biology, physics and psychology. Therefore he writes that god must be in the subconscious. This is the classic "god of the gaps": i.e. god, or the evidence for god, resides in what remains to be understood.
Read his biography on wikipedia before reading this book.