For those interested in the history of the Big 3 (otherwise known as Christianity, Judaism and Islam) and how they evolved through the centuries, Karen Armstrong's A History Of God: The 4,000 Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity and Islam is a great read.
Armstrong, a journalist and former nun, is very knowledgeable about her subject, giving a thorough analysis of the cultural, political and societal influences that lead to the creation of the three major religions, as well as how they interacted with and influenced each other.
While A History Of God is extremely interesting, it is not light reading. Unless you've already been acquainted with religious study, it will take more than a quick glance to understand some of the terminology and concepts. But Armstrong does a good job of making complex ideas understandable and engaging. While there's a lot you can take from the book, the three main ideas I gleaned from it were:
- Religion is less divine revelation and more practical application. In other words, people will only believe in and hold on to a certain image/version of God as long as it works for them. If it ceases to be effective, then it is cast aside. The reinvention of God as taken place throughout history over and over again, as changes in society, political upheaval, cultural norms and scientific/technological advancement cause people to reassess God.
- The idea of a personal, anthropomorphic God that exists in a separate reality is dangerous (no surprise there:), because it allows us to attach our own prejudices and fears to it. "God, "simply becomes a bigger version of ourselves, which can lead to such atrocities as the genocides detailed in the bible, the Crusades, The Holocaust, slavery etc.
- God works better when he is viewed as an imaginative symbol of an indescribable reality, a reality that is a subjective experience for each individual achieved through meditation, quiet concentration or other techniques for getting in touch with one's "inner self."
Comments