Rating: 
Summary: If this won't shake your thinking, nothing will!
Review: A History of God was one of the most important books I've read. Karen Armstrong fearlessly, yet respectfully, traces the history of monotheistic thought from its earliest conception to the present day, all in a readable, lay-language book. It doesn't get much better, in my opinion. However, be cautioned. If you are inclined to cling to old dogma, or frightened by the possibility that God might not be exactly what you were taught in Sunday School, then don't bother picking up this book. It will haunt you. On the other hand, if you are seeking a more clear picture of who God might really be, if you are open to the possibility that our concept of Him has evolved enormously since the days of Abraham, then this might be an excellent read for you. Besides a good history lesson, it is insightful for the Western reader to gain an understanding of the "non-Christian" monotheistic traditions, i.e. Judaism and Islam. Armstrong does a wonderful (and contrary to some critics, I believe a FAIR) job of explaining how both Christianity and later Islam branched off of the Judaic traditions. Above all, it places the evolution of the God-concept into its cultural context, without which, our current God-concept is little more than a wholesale belief in so much mythology. Be prepared to think, to change your mind, and to emerge from the end of this book a changed person.
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Summary: Thought Provoking...
Review: If you're not open minded and willing to learn things that are perhaps a bit against the current dogma of the day don't bother reading this. I was very impressed with the amount of research the author has placed into this and the thought process she used... in my opinion she has quite a bit of courage to attempt to show religion (of any type) in a historical context since there are so many out there who feel that religion should only be faith based. The editorial reviews say what this book is about better then I could so I won't bother with a synopsis just my very high recommendation to the open minded to read this.
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Summary: "Bias" according to a Christian ...
Review: ... is anything that disagrees with the conception of Christianity held by that same Christian: if you say, correctly, that God -- being SUPERnatural -- is not provable or knowable by mere NATURAL -- that is, scientific or rational -- means, a Creation Scientist will scream "bias" or "unbalanced"! Anyone who is interested -- truly interested -- in learning about the nature of God must read this book. God is our conception of ultimate nature; our conception of that changes, because WE change. No Christian would say that God has a body (except for Jesus's, which is a separate issue), which means that God does not exist -- physically, naturally. God is an idea: the ultimate idea, whether or not you're gung ho about the word itself. "A History of God" is an absolutely enthralling collection of knowledge for any true seekers with an open mind. Occasionally, her arguments seem incomplete, and bear further looking into, but the scope of the book is simply too great to adequately cover every last detail in only 400 pages; Karen Armstrong is a genius.
Rating: 
Summary: A well thought-out work
Review: I bought this book about a year and a half ago and have read it through three times, and re-read various chapters many times more. Armstrong presents a clear and detailed history and explanation of how the Judaism, Christianity, and Islam developed. Her writing style is easy to follow--she stays with one subject until she has dealt with it as fully, and then leads smoothly into another. In my opinion, this is a must read book for any student of the dominant religions of the world.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best books I have ever read!
Review: Karen Armstrong has written a clear and objective history on one of the most interesting and emotionally-driven subjects around today. A History of God is chock full of intersting accurate information, and is as readable as a story book. I still use it as a reference six months after I read it. A wonderful read for anyone interested in the origins of religion, the process by which it became the diverse establishment that it is today, or the basic tenets of the various off-shoots of the three major monotheistic faiths.
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Summary: A Classic Must-Read
Review: Karen Armstrong has written a critical introduction for the story or western faith and monotheism. 'A History of God' takes us from the dim genesis of the concept of divinity to the modern concept of monotheism. Believers and Nonbelievers alike can appreciate Karen Armstrong's insight.
Rating: 
Summary: More Like a History of Atheism
Review: Of the 8 sides to the cassettes, one side would suffice to consolidate the beneficial information about the 4,000 Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The remaining portions of the tapes are filled opinionated speculation, cynical views of Christianity, and a quest for the "ideal" of Atheism. It is not until the final dissertation on the last side of the last tape that the listener finds out that the author had a bad experience with "religion" as a child.
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Summary: Superb overview and a wonderful distillation of monotheism.
Review: Karen Armstrong has put together an impressive work that examines in depth the evolution of God and our perceptions of the transcendent. It's a wonderful starting point, however a dedicated reader should certainly explore other books to round out topics that the author touched lightly upon (Paul) or even omitted entirely (the influence of Eastern religions). I think some of the criticisms levied at this book are misplaced. There seems to be a theme in these reviews that the author tends to slam Western Christianity and goes easy on Islam. This seems true to a certain extent, yet deliberate. The book is obviously aimed at Western readers; Christianity is so deeply imbued in so much of our culture that it bears a fearless scrutiny. While no doubt painful for some (Christian) readers, it's illuminating and honest. The author is obviously learned in Muslim history, yet she may have covered it in more depth than many Western readers might want. Also as one reviewer noted, "by failing to extend to Islam the razor of her sarcasm, she invites distrust". True, yet again there is so little positive perception of Islam in the West, that this appears intentional. This is the most notable flaw in the book, but not a fatal one. What she did explain *very* well: 1. How pagan idol worship evolved into Jewish monotheism. 2. How the Trinity concept came about and grew. 3. The intellectual rift between and differences in Western and Eastern Orthodox Christianity. 4. Mysticism and it's ramifications. One reviewer called this a modern "dead end". I couldn't disagree more. Overall, quite excellent and probably the best starting point for someone who wants to explore this fascinating topic. She has struck the best balance I've seen so far between depth, complexity and readability. Highly recommended.
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Summary: An Excellent Book on God and Monotheism.
Review: A MUST READ! I had no idea that Islam was such a beautifully deep religion until I read this book. An excellent book for any intelligent person - especially intelligent Christians. It puts into perspective the history of the Christian Church and the rest of the world's history. The author is a Catholic and a former nun. To her great credit, she is able to express to the western Christian reader the complexities of Judaism and Islam as well. This book shatters prejudices which most western people have about Islam. I highly recommend this book!
Rating:
Summary: Still good... even with its shortcomings
Review: This is a very thorough look at the changing idea of what these 3 monotheistic religions consider God. It ventures very little outside the 3 religions and does seem rather heavily weighted toward mysticism and Islam. Perhaps Ms. Armstrong does focus more on lesser known historical figures or aspects of the religions, but I think it is with a purpose. There are plenty of other books out there about Thomas Aquinas... Going to be a dry read for the casual reader, but in my opinion a "must read" for someone who really wants to delve into the history of any one of these religions. Follow it up by reading other histories though to temper this books biases.
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