I read this a few years ago but from notes written at the time found it quite interesting. It contrasted the development of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. However, it was a bit of a marathon and it was very heavy going at times with all the umpteen people with their religious theories. The thing I liked most was the Thomas Hardy poem right at the end, The Darkling Thrush. ( )

Another one I've "read at" as opposed to reading from page 1 to the end. ( )

I have been reading the Bible, I mean literally from cover to cover - Old and New Testaments from Genesis to Revelation. Needless to say it is very time consuming and not at all easy, even with the assistance of a “tutorial” Bible guide. And rather than answering numerous questions, the Bible just elevates my curiosity and evokes more questions… so many questions…

Therefore along with the Bible and the tutorial I am reading other related theological books, one of them titled "A History of God" by Karen Armstrong. Karen Armstrong was raised as a Roman Catholic, and grew up to become a nun. She had a difficult time connecting with God, and felt like a failure. She then left the religious fold and began studying theology and the history of religion.

Covering a period of 4000 years she touches on Greek Mythology and the Egyptian beliefs and explains how religion slowly evolved to the idea of God and from there she expounds on how Judaism, Christianity and Islam (to a lesser extent) developed the idea of a “personal” God - a God that shows all the feelings and emotions of humans: he loves, judges, punishes, sees, hears, creates, and destroys.

One of the most interesting points learned is that every religion down through the ages had to either adjust its doctrine to fit human needs at that time or it became extinct. This helps explain the cause for different sects as with the Orthodox Jews and Reform.

Additionally, it explains the evolution of the Roman Catholic church - and the breaking away of Lutherans and Protestants - among other sects.

Karen Armstrong gives detailed presentations of the arguments made throughout history for and against various beliefs… major issues such as “how much of the Bible is simply symbolic - as opposed to literally proven fact.” And the different arguments amongst theological scholars about the Trinity, all based on interpretations of different languages the Bible was written in - Latin, Greek, Hebrew, and Arabic.

It isn't possible in this limited review to list all the topics discussed - just flipping through the pages you will come across stories from the Bible, and theories of many philosophers including Aristotle, Spinoza, Plato, and Nietzsche. Various details about the Muslims, Muhammad and the Koran. Information about the Sufis and Kabbalist, the Jesuits and the Crusades, and some notations about Hinduism and Buddhism.

In conclusion the author addresses the rise of atheism and ponders the question of whether God has any future at all in this quickly changing, scientific, intellectual world of today.

In summary, "A History of God" is a very informative book offering a wide overview of past and present theological beliefs.

Rated 5 Stars June 2022

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According to Karen Armstrong (and I agree), monotheism has an inbuilt tension between a transcendent God who isn't very approachable (or even comprehensible) and a personal God who can be human, all too human. Armstrong describes the pendulum swings between the two extremes throughout history. The prose in this book is very dense and the chapters are long, but it's well worth the effort. ( )

Karen Armstrong's "A History of God" is an expansive and exciting work. In it, she attempts a broad sketch of the evolution of the concept of God in three major monotheistic faiths: Christianity, Islam, and Judiasm. I enjoyed this book a great deal, both for its introduction (to me) of new conceptions of God, and more importantly, in its demonstration that God, as conceived of by man, has never been a static or unchanging entity. Indeed, the main strength of "A History of God" is its illustration of how dynamic and mutable conceptions of God really are.
For this book, it is important to focus on what it is not, as much as what it is. It is not an effort to justify or to prove the existence, or to demonstrate the correctness of any one religious view. While Armstrong does question the development of certain religious practices, in particular those of Christianity, her questions are important ones, and do not seem malicious or destructive in intent. Instead, her goal is one of the mapmaker. She does not say what the land is or whether it is good or evil; she merely charts it as she goes, and primarily leaves the duty of determining the value of the land surveyed to the reader.
In doing so, she provides the reader with a chance to examine the cultural evolution of so many of the ideas that we currently hold as universal and immutable. While her challenge is not a direct one, any serious reader must question their own beliefs in the face of a clear demonstration that God is in many ways a man-made entity, and that God, as a concept, has developed as man has developed, to fill his needs and desires.
I did have some complaints about this book. As others have said, the book feels heavily weighted towards Islam, at times to the exclusion of the other two faiths it aims to cover. However, it is important to recognize that a topic of this magnitude is going to have to make ommissions, and for western readers, a greater focus on Islam is at times sorely needed. Additionally, she also at times seems somewhat hostile towards Christianity. Again though, her complaints are most often valid ones that should be addressed or at least considered.
At times a difficult book to get through, due to its depth, but in all an excellent and enlightening read. I highly recommend it. ( )