A review by hirvimaki
A History of God: The 4,000-Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam by Karen Armstrong

4.0

Bravo Karen Armstrong! A wonderful, compelling and thorough work! This is a must read for anyone interested to know more about the roots of monotheistic religion, and especially to understand some of the differences between the Western and Eastern churches.

This is a work that is extremely well documented; each averment is backed by historical documents and/or historical evidence. The glossary is a treasure in itself.

For the Western Christian, Ms. Armstrong presents an insightful view of the other two monotheistic traditions, i.e. Judaism and Islam. She performs this task admirably, and contrary to some critics, I believe, in a balanced way.

Ms. Armstrong places the evolution of the God-concept into its various cultural and political contexts, which brings a further depth to the understanding of why people view God in a particular way, and without which, those beliefs appear to be merely wholesale superstition.

Don't pick this up if you do not want to question your personal conceptions of God. Do give it it a read if you want to know know about the rich cultural history of the monotheistic religions and grow your appreciation and understanding of the ineffable God.