Historical and Cultural Guide to Religion: “A History of God” by Karen Armstrong

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Review and Reflection
Further Points
Conclusion
Reference

Introduction

It is worth noting that in her book A History of God, Karen Armstrong describes the change in ideas about God as a person’s property to represent God in various historical and cultural realities. This insightful writing on the history of religion reveals the relationship of different religions with one another (Armstrong, 1999). Despite the complexity of the issue, the author respects different worldviews. She allows the reader to analyze their ideas independently based on the sum of monotheistic views on the understanding of God. The purpose of this paper is to review the book by Karen Armstrong.

Review and Reflection

While considering the history of such monotheistic religions as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, the author reveals how difficult it is to be a religious person or an atheist in modern realities. Importantly, both the first and second groups of people often do not think about the idea of God changing continuously throughout the course of human history (Armstrong, 1999). The book by Armstrong reveals a panorama of the alterations that have occurred in the monotheistic religions of modern humankind and emphasizes that they are connected by a common origin.

It is curious that the author emphasizes that it is impossible to answer questions regarding the origin of religion. The difficulty lies in the fact that the earliest religious documents are the result of the previous thousand-year reflections of people living at that time (Armstrong, 1999). Moreover, Armstrong tells the reader that the traces of the early polytheism of the ancient Jews, which had been obsolete for many centuries, may be observed in the holy writing common to all three religions. However, the audience may conclude that religion differs from scientific doctrines in that it cannot reject a tradition that is rooted in history.

Further Points

It can be argued that the book has a high worldwide scientific and cultural significance. The author provides a comparative analysis of the idea of God, which suggests the existence of many similarities between religions and allows tracing the origins of each of them. All three religions – Judaism, Christianity, and Islam – acknowledge Abraham’s prophetic mission (Armstrong, 1999). One of the main advantages of the method employed by the writer allows the reader to learn new facets in religions that have been formed over more than 40 centuries.

It is crucial to discuss the multitude of sources considered in the book separately. The author refers to works on religious studies, theology, history of religion and sociology of religion, phenomenology, ethnography, and many other resources. Such a variety of references, in addition to the canonical texts, makes it possible to assume the depth of the study of sources on the topic. The scope of philosophical views seems impressive since Armstrong cites a large number of figures, beginning with biblical prophets such as Isaiah and Ecclesiastes (Armstrong, 1999). The author talks about Judaism, the ideas of Greek philosophers, and the Council of Nicaea, which marked the beginning of the split of the Christian church. Also, the writer reveals the difference in the perception of God by the Eastern and Western Churches, the origin of Islam, and the directions that arose within its framework, and discusses the emergence of atheism.

Conclusion

Thus, it can be concluded that the book by Karen Armstrong may serve as a comprehensive historical and cultural guide for anyone attempting to understand religious views better. The author spins the spiral of the evolution of the idea of God from pantheism to religious fundamentalism of the twentieth century. Armstrong wrote a detailed study in which she shares her knowledge with the reader, following the chronological order and revealing the diversity of cultures.

Reference

Armstrong, K. (1999). A history of God. New York, NY: Vintage Books.

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Historical and Cultural Guide to Religion: “A History of God” by Karen Armstrong

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