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A History of God: The 4,000-Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity and Islam (Paperback)
by Karen Armstrong
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Religion, History, Civilization, Human society |
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A great work on religion, you will find in this intellectually challenging book an inexhaustible treasure of images, facts and ideas. |
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Author: Karen Armstrong
Publisher: Ballantine Books; Reprint edition
Pub. in: August, 1994
ISBN: 0345384563
Pages: 496
Measurements: 8.3 x 5.6 x 1 inches
Origin of product: USA
Order code: BA00576
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- Awards & Credential -
The New York Times Bestseller |
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Karen Armstrong is in a unique position to discuss matters of interfaith history and connection. A former Roman Catholic nun, she also has a background as a teacher at a Rabbinical college, and is also an honorary member of the Association of Muslim Social Sciences. Her background interest in matters religious goes back to her childhood, which she shares in the introduction to this volume, when she first experienced religion as being about fear, and then later learned the more wonderful sides. She freely confesses her difficulties with matters of faith and belief, often made deeper and more troubling the more she studied the history of religion (one reason some denominations do not trust seminary training is that they feel it brings about a crisis of faith).
Despite her initial misgivings, she believed that humankind was a spiritual race; she thought that God was merely a construct, and she found much more. God is in many ways a construct, done by rabbis, priests, sufis, wise people of all faiths. There is a real sense in which God is new for each new person, and yet there are commonalities, particularly between and among the three great monotheistic religions born of the Abrahamic tradition. This book represents not a history of God per se, but rather a history of humanity's perceptions of God over the past 4000 years, from the earliest days of Abraham to the present in its grand and often dangerous diversity.
Armstrong takes a look at different constructions of God. The first chapter looks specifically at the world at the time of Abraham, not specifically any set of years during which the figure Abraham might have lived (we do not know this date with any degree of certainty), but rather prehistory to the Axial Age, a time of reinterpretation of prehistoric carry-forwards into a time of greater civilization. The beginnings of many concepts of God began here; later chapters develop these more fully. The second chapter develops a 'typical' view of early Jewish doctrines of God; the third and fourth introduce Christian doctrines, including the often-problematic trinitarian doctrine; the fifth chapter looks at the Muslim perception of God as overarching unity. These chapters look at liturgical, scriptural and historical developments.
The succeeding chapters look at different ideas of God that influence all three religions (albeit in different ways) as well as non-believer images of God. Philosophy has always played a pivotal role in theology, with an uneasy relationship sometimes in support of and sometimes opposed to dominant views of God. God viewed through the rational lens of philosophy is very different from the ecstatic experience of God by the mystics - kabbalism, sufism, monasticism, solitary mystics and divines all have left writings that sound remarkably similar, and look past the surface trappings of religions to get to what is held to be a deeper unity and truth.
The period of the Reformation marked significant changes in the perception of God in the West, but it also had serious changes for the Orthodox, the Muslims and the Jews of the same period. The long-impregnable city of Constantinople was captured by the Turks, who made political strides against the Christians in the East only to be turned back by them in the West. The Muslim culture was in fact more powerful than the Christian culture of the time, and far more unified, but failed to capitalize upon this position, or foresee the shifting situation in Europe, which seemed to be fragmenting rather than moving forward. During this time also, it seemed a dark age for Jews, who were regularly expelled or subjected to inquisitions in Christendom; and Jews desired a need for more direct experience of God - mystical practices, particularly among Sephardic Jews, arose to fill a very present need.
The Enlightenment touched Judaism, Christianity and Islam in important ways also. The beginnings of secularlism are to be found in the Enlightenment, a doctrine that continues to exist in diverse ways with each of the three major religions. The immutability of law and order, the ideas of divine rights of rulers and cultures and destinies ordained (or preordained) by God gave way to ideas of change, progress, and egalitarianism in societies where each of the three religions was dominant. The changes were more pronounced in Christianity and Judaism than Islam, but changes did occur everywhere, and as new forms of government were founded (the American Revolution, the French Revolution, etc.), the role of religion ceased to have the central place in civic life that it had; this, however, sometimes only served to emphasize its importance in other directions, not always productive toward the rest of society. The extremists of all three religions can be traced back to influences from and reactions to situations and ideas formed in the Enlightenment.
The nineteenth and twentieth centuries are intensely problematic for organized religion in the world of all varieties. Again the idea of philosophy came into play, this time teamed with an ever-growing dominance of science and technology as 'objective' ways of perceiving and judging the world. Science had sometimes been the handmaiden of religion - for example, astronomy had flourished in Muslim cultures as being practical and useful for determining the direction to Mecca, among other uses. However, without state sanctioning power and overall intellectual support from academies, it became more possible for people to question not only the perceptions of God and practices appropriate toward God, but the very existence of God. Nietzsche was not the only one to declare God dead, but merely the most dramatic of such declarers.
In her chapter on the future, Armstrong paints a conflicted picture of what is to come. Will we have faith? Will we remember the past? Ultimately, she does not know any more than any of us, the readers. Doing a quick survey of modern theological and philosophical trends (mostly Western), the future is left wide open. (From quoting FrKurt Messick, USA)
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Karen Armstrong is the author of nearly twenty books, including The Great Transformation, A History of God, and The Spiral Staircase, a spiritual memoir, among other bestsellers. An internationally renowned expert on religion, Armstrong is a powerful voice for interfaith understanding. She lives in England.
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From the Publisher:
"An admirable and impressive work of synthesis that will give insight and satisfaction to thousands of lay readers." – The Washington Post Book World
In this stunningly intelligent book, Karen Armstrong, one of Britain's foremost commentators on religious affairs, traces the history of how men and women have perceived and experienced God, from the time of Abraham to the present. From classical philosophy and medieval mysticism to the Reformation, the Enlightenment, and the modern age of skepticism, Karen Armstrong performs the near miracle of distilling the intellectual history of monotheism into one superbly readable volume, destined to take its place as a classic.
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View all 10 comments |
Ray Erskins (MSL quote), USA
<2006-12-30 00:00>
A History of God is Karen Armstrong's opus (in my humble opinion), and is an admirable achievement, for it is both secular and theological, without being sanctimonious. I have taken the time to read several of her books and each is superlative in its own way, but most focus on historical time periods that are only part of the 4000 year saga that is revealed with such power in A History of God.
Karen Armstrong sets the tone for the coming millennium in this seemingly miraculous work or would sagacious be a better term? Throughout she sings the song of The Darkling Thrush, much like the heroic thrush that flings his soul "Upon the growing gloom" in Thomas Hardy's moving poem (of the same name), which Ms. Armstrong, a former nun, quotes with haunting effect at the end of her book.
European nihilism and the "God-shaped hole in the heart" were a fact of life on the Continent when the book was first published in the early nineties. And there was/is a disturbing emptiness in the idea that there is nothing (in the end) but humanity and its all too human folly. The book's ending seemed to offer some hope however, because Ms. Armstrong had pointed out (in chapter after chapter) that our ideas about God were always changing because they have to work. And when they cease to work, they are quietly discarded. So the unspoken promise was/is that this great antidote to nihilism and misguided Reason, i.e., God, would change with the times and work, as it always has, to sustain the souls of those who wish to believe.
And no doubt we have seen a resurgent belief in God in recent years, which has undergone a remarkable and menacing metamorphosis, much to the chagrin of the "brights" (atheists), skeptics, secular-humanists, and the like. Some of them would be perfectly content to see this increasingly vengeful God disappear forever and never come back - so thoroughly do they detest the concept of a personal deity that punishes sinners and inspires self-righteous fanatics to kill unbelievers. Or, worse still, rapture up to heaven and leave the world in ruins.
Which is why this book is still so important. Ms. Armstrong's exhaustive scholarship and competent analysis of the numerous belief systems that have been held dear within the monotheistic tradition over the centuries will broaden the narrowest mind, provided it is a thoughtful mind. For even though human beings may indeed be the "religious animal" we are also intelligent and curious animals that have a rational nature as well. And I think the case can be made that we have accomplished the most when we have been tolerant of both sides of the human equation (which is a two-way street) and tried to strike a balance between Reason and Revelation. |
Vahit Sametoglu (MSL quote), USA
<2006-12-30 00:00>
Karen Armstrong is an expert on history of religions. In this book, she really exhibits her expertise.
The book starts with the notion of "god" from the very beginning. Then she introduces the concept of "god" in each Abrahamic religion. There are many common grounds among these religions as well as stark contrasts.
In Judaism, God addresses "the chosen people" and the whole story turns around these folks. There is no need to spread the word of God.
However, Christianity strongly encourages its followers to spread the word of God as much and widespread as possible. However, the concept of "Trinity" brings a stark contrast with Islam.
Islam rejects neither Judaism nor Christianity. According to Islam, they were both "true" religions. However, people started to change their contents as time passed. The change became so apparent and severe that God sent the final revelation, which is Islam. Islam says all of the previous religions sent by God were valid for a limited period of time for a certain nation/people. Whenever a new one is sent, the older one becomes obsolete and invalid. It is like passing a new law. When a new law passes the legislation and is approved by the authorities, it becomes the valid law and old ones are not implemented anymore. However, being the final message of God, Islam addresses the entire Humanity until the end of the World. So, there will be no more religions, no more prophets/messengers and holy books. Therefore, according to Islam, there is no difference among people before Allah in terms of ethnicity, race, nationality, gender, language, culture and geography but piety. No nation, culture, language, race is superior or inferior to the others. Whoever is more pious and obedient to Allah and treats others well will be rewarded abundantly on the Day of Judgment and the grand prize will be the Paradise and whoever is disobedient to Allah and harms people will be harshly punished and their final destination will be the Hell.
Islam asks Muslims to treat "the people of the book", i.e. Christians and Jews, well, regardless of the current status of their religion. However, there is no compromise in Islam. Our religion is to us, their religion is to them.
Islam, being the eventual and most comprehensive message of God, requires its followers to spread the religion as much and widespread as possible. However, there is absolutely no compulsion in accepting Islam. People must use their free will to accept or decline it. Muslims are urged to use the most gracious and polite language and manners in spreading the word of Allah without resorting any coercion or violence under any circumstances.
Islam is founded upon a very strict sense of monotheism. The first and foremost condition of being a Muslim is accepting the fact that there is no other deity worthy of worshipping but Allah. He is the one and only creator of the Universe, time and everything inside and outside of them. He is omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent. All the physical and metaphysical entities which can and cannot be sensed by humans are created by Him. He designates human beings as his "deputy" in the World. Therefore, everything we see and feel is created to serve human beings. He, however, in reciprocation, requires Muslims to obey His commandments, and keep away from what He forbade.
The author, having introduced all three religions, also mentions many famous philosophers and scholars of Islam, e.g. Ibn-i Sina (Avicenna), Farabi, Ibn Arabi, Imam Ghazzali, Rumi. Their contributions to civilization and influence on Muslims and people in general are addressed extensively.
This book, in a way, serves as a concise history book of religions as well. The major milestones in each one are discussed successfully. The Renaissance and Reformation movements and consequently the Enlightenment are depicted very well with vivid examples.
Starting from 18th and 19th centuries the West began to fall into the web of positivism and materialism. Freud, Marx, Engels, Darwin are some of the forefathers of this movement. People started to ask the question whether the notion of "god" is really going to vanish from our lives.
However, the current trend shows that no matter how wealthy human beings get and however they advance in science and technology, they are still very weak, feeble and fragile. People will always be in need of believing in and relying on a super-human master, which/who is, in simple terms, God.
This book is very much recommended and praised. Karen Armstrong is a very reliable and knowledgeable scholar and her writings are well-balanced and well-versed. |
Chris Luallen (MSL quote), USA
<2006-12-30 00:00>
As an atheist with a strong interest in religious history, I find Karen Armstrong to be among the best contemporary writers on this subject. She has an enormous wealth of knowledge to share and, as someone who is both an ex-nun and an academic, she can relate to the religious as well as the skeptical.
A History of God is one of her most acclaimed books and with good reason. She provides tremendous insights while undertaking the considerable task of tracing the concept of God in the world's three major monotheistic religions - Judaism, Christianity and Islam. She also compares the ideas of monotheism to the theologies of Eastern religions, such as Buddhism and Hinduism, as well as the pagan beliefs of the ancient Greeks and Romans.
Another interesting part of the book demonstrates how the Jewish God, Yahweh, actually began as a pagan deity and that it really wasn't until the Jewish exile in Babylon that a truly monotheistic notion of Yahweh emerged. Armstrong is often accused of being too much of an apologist for Islam. I agree with this point to some extent. But the history and beliefs of Islam are so badly misunderstood in the Western world that I think Armstrong probably considers it her duty to emphasize the positive aspects of the religion. I especially enjoyed where Armstrong discussed the Enlightenment and the reaction of various European philosophers, such as Pascal and Kant, to religion and the concept of God. Another excellent chapter is "The Death Of God?", where Armstrong discusses the advent of atheism and whether religion still has a useful role to play in the modern world. I would recommend almost any book by Karen Armstrong. But this one has to rank among her very best. |
An American reader (MSL quote), USA
<2006-12-30 00:00>
Armstrong's goal in this book is monumental, nothing less than to provide the history of monotheism from its beginnings in prehistory to the present. While she narrows it to the major religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, she also brings in other religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism. The result is a masterpiece of scholarly theology. One of the most important aspects is that it is comparative religion, and narrowing it to any one faith would have been a huge loss. Not all authors could have handled the comparison without one religion (their own) coming out "on top." But while Armstrong is a Christian, as her other books demonstrate she is enough of a scholar in each of the others that I felt no bias. At times there was a lack of information on Islam, but she was careful to note that there isn't yet enough research on Islam in the time period she is discussing.
I read this book years ago and found it so difficult that while I finished it, it did not stick. Over the last year, a group from my church took on the task of reading it a chapter a month. This is a hard way to read a book as complex as this, as one tends to lose continuity in the reading. And we dropped from about twenty at our first meeting to a core group of six who stuck it out to the end. But the six enjoyed it very much, and agreed that we'd learned some incredible things from it.
One of my insights from the book was the importance of her ongoing insistence that she is writing not about God but about the idea of God. We can't really know God. Judaism is the most clear and practical about this, even in the Hebrew Bible. When times change and the idea of God no longer fits what the people need from God, people change the idea of God. This is seen in the Reformation as well, and in the Enlightenment. This idea is of course the opposite of the fundamentalist idea (in any religion) that God always was and is and will be the same. I cannot see many fundamentalists reading her book in the first place. But if they did, these ideas that she is considering the idea of God, not God "Himself," and that that idea necessarily changes, would be very troubling to such a person.
While others have mentioned Armstrong's stress on a personal God in all three religions, what struck me was the extent to which all three had at least minority movements which found other ways of expressing God, even if the word used for God remained masculine. I have spent more than a decade trying to find a way of experiencing and understanding God that is not just man-on-a-throne-in-the-sky. I found many ways, some of them small, in her book, where some in all three faiths were on the same search.
I had two problems with the book. One was unavoidable. In several places, a single sentence would be so packed with information and implications that she could have written a whole chapter or even a book unpacking it. I wanted her to! But the book was already a long one.
The other problem she and her editors could have done something about. Each chapter was long, and had no breaks at all. With the complex material, it would have helped. She's very organized when she makes a major switch between the major faiths, but I didn't catch on for several chapters. My reading group agreed that it would have helped if she had made breaks within chapters for that or other major breaks in topic. And I don't think it would have made her book less scholarly to do so.
But these are minor problems in a major work by a theologian and scholar whose other books I now want to read. |
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