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kath61 's review for:
A History of God: The 4,000-Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
by Karen Armstrong
Well I feel some sense of personal satisfaction in finishing this 'History of God' in under 500 pages. Unlike the blurb which promised 'a splendidly readable book' I found it hard going. It is rather dry and academic for an armchair theologian but not necessarily detailed enough to withstand the criticism of religious intellectuals. Although she does have a number of footnotes she is also prone to making sweeping statements, often denigrating a person or thought, with no evidence to back her up. She manages to completely smear Martin Luther in one sentence, for example, and makes pretty short work of Jesus and his immediate followers.
I did find some of the writing interesting, especially when contrasting Western and Eastern approaches. She also makes a number of erudite remarks about how wrestling with religious truths can affect mental health and how damaging fundamentalism can be.
I also found myself interested in the contrasts between views of a 'Personal' God and more mystical approaches. The question of Suffering is another thorny issue that has been discussed for centuries and it was fascinating to see how different people or cultures came across their conclusions.
I found the final chapter 'Has God a future?' more of a list of negatives than positives.
This book is 20 years old and I expect the author will have further thoughts to share in her more recent books, but I don't think I will have the energy for another for a while.
I did find some of the writing interesting, especially when contrasting Western and Eastern approaches. She also makes a number of erudite remarks about how wrestling with religious truths can affect mental health and how damaging fundamentalism can be.
I also found myself interested in the contrasts between views of a 'Personal' God and more mystical approaches. The question of Suffering is another thorny issue that has been discussed for centuries and it was fascinating to see how different people or cultures came across their conclusions.
I found the final chapter 'Has God a future?' more of a list of negatives than positives.
This book is 20 years old and I expect the author will have further thoughts to share in her more recent books, but I don't think I will have the energy for another for a while.