livstreff's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
3.0
A very in depth analysis of God - his origins and how he has been portrayed, not just in the modern bible but also in much older texts. Anyone reading this book will learn something. I thought I knew a bit about religion, but this book really showed me that there’s a whole lost history of God, his original pantheon and name are forgotten to us now but still shape the way he is viewed.
I found some parts of this book much more interesting than others, for example the ‘genitals’ section was fascinating as it explored sex and gender politics in the Bible, as well as highlighting the censorship of God’s sexuality in more modern versions. Linking ancient texts to contempory ideas and society now was enlightening and I really enjoyed reading about it. However, some other sections of the book were much more dry and harder to read and enjoy.
Overall, a very interesting book, but just a bit dense and too long in some places.
makraemer's review against another edition
4.0
Entertaining and educational look at the religions of Southwest Asia over the millennia. New knowledge I took away and found interesting:
1. The transition of gods from a very physical presence to the hidden/spiritual interactions today
2. The family of God: wife, daughter, son, brothers, sisters, father, mother
3. The morphing of even older stories and mythologies into the ones we know today, some simply exchanging names and places.
I would recommend for anyone interested in the origins of the Western religions we know today and how belief and practice changed, especially in how we felt, heard, saw our deities.
1. The transition of gods from a very physical presence to the hidden/spiritual interactions today
2. The family of God: wife, daughter, son, brothers, sisters, father, mother
3. The morphing of even older stories and mythologies into the ones we know today, some simply exchanging names and places.
I would recommend for anyone interested in the origins of the Western religions we know today and how belief and practice changed, especially in how we felt, heard, saw our deities.