Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing, skeptical, and highly personalized "History"
Review: Karen Armstrong certainly impresses in her ability to synthesize large amounts of material and explain complex ideas in a simple and comprehensible way. However, while the scholarship is impressive, the book as a whole disappoints because it appears to be wracked, particularly in sections of the book relating to Christianity, with what we might surmise are some of Ms. Armstrong's own faith challenges. For example, the discussion of the formation of early Christian thought is very biased against what most Christians actually believe about this period -- and the book presents its viewpoint as if it is written in stone and had been scientifically established, which is incorrect and misleading. Ultimately, the book is at its most succesful in conveying the very personal doubts of the author with respect to various religious systems and ideas that have comprised historical monotheism in its three dominant forms. In sum, although the book is definitely informative in sections and very impressive in its breadth of coverage, I ultimately found it to be a profoundly sad and personal work.
Rating: 
Summary: Superb. A well- researched study.
Review: This book answered many of my questions. The author presents the writings about God in the epochs they take place, in a historical context. Without being blasphemous, Ms. Armstrong weaves a pattern of God being molded by man. I consider myself to be religious and a believer in God. This book helped me to see the way others may view God. I learned a great deal and thoroughly enjoyed reading it. This was the first Armstrong book I have read, and I now plan to read the others.
Rating:
Summary: Not about "God", but about Judism, Christianity, and Islam.
Review: Don't be misled by the title of this book, I opened it up thinking I might read some discussion about how the concept of God was created and/or evolved within the Human mind, instead I got a history lesson and facts ad nauseam about Judism, Christianity, and Islam (e.g., Adam said this, then Abraham did that). Karen Armstrong was a former member of the clergy, it shows.
Rating:
Summary: A mystical approach
Review: Armstrong purports ot write an extensive treatment of monotheism. She writes from a mystical point of view and is opposed to logic and rationality. The book contains unfortunately many speculations that have long been refuted by archaeologists or scholars and that Armnstrong seem to have picked up in old books. An example of this is Armstrong take-over of the documentary hypothesis about the Thorah (The books of Archer, Gleason provide a good treatment of this subject.).
Rating:
Summary: The God of the Old Testament Finally Makes Sense!
Review: A superb explanation of the evolution of how people have conceived of "God". Helped me understand why the God of Genesis is so different from the God of later books. The last third of the book, especially the chapter on "Is God dead?", helped me to better reconcile my own atheist views with my Catholic childhood. Only one caveat about this terrific book: it is not "light" reading, you may not need a college degree to fully appreciate her work but a strong Liberal Arts background sure does help
Rating:
Summary: Intelligent, Well-Documented, Informative, Un-Biased
Review: Doing the impossible, exploring the depths of the three monotheistic religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam, in an un-biased manner, is what Karen Armstrong has accomplished. The reader is provided with a concise look at each faith and their relationship to one another in an intelligent manner. Ms. Armstrong remains above the stereotypes which plague this genre, and gives her readers a look into the religions of the world with knowledge and intelligence. A must read for those who want an insightful work
Rating:
Summary: One of the best books I have ever read.
Review: Excellent analysis of a complex subject. I was pleasently surprised by the author's ability to dissociate herself from stereotypes and common prejudice. A must read for everyone
Rating:
Summary: An incomparable educational experience.
Review: Karen Armstrong shows a unique talent in bringing an unbiased, dynamic and educational approach to one of humanity's most complex subjects. An absolute must for anyone genuinely interested in other peoples belief systems as well as extending the knolwledge of their own
Rating: 
Summary: So-so
Review: I could not give this book anything below three stars because it is very well researched and articulated, but it does have its faults. There is a lot of opinion throughout the book, but this can be expected from a book that deals with religion and God. Ms. Armstrong comes to some strange conclusions at some points and chapters in the book, conclusions that do not seem to be backed up by adequate evidence. She also focuses on obscure doctrines and sects of the three faiths for pages at a time, becoming repetitive, when a page would suffice to describe the issue, sect or group. The task that this novel has, that of completing a 4,000 year history of one of the most influential, intriguing and often layered and veiled subjects, is enormous and for even attempting to undertake such a project, Ms. Armstrong must be applauded. However, I do feel that if one is serious about studying religion it would be best to study each religion seperately and in-depth in order to fully grasp the many conceptions of God. Though this book was by no means bad, I would urge anyone to take a different route in studying the history of religion or God.
Rating:
Summary: And what a history it is...
Review: "Human beings cannot endure emptiness and desolation; they will fill the vacuum by creating a new focus of meaning. . . .we should, perhaps, ponder the history of God for some lessons and warnings." --- last paragraph of Armstrong's book.The jacket points out that Armstrong teaches at the Leo Baeck College for the Study of Judaism and the Training of Rabbis and Teachers (as well as having spent seven years as a nun). Her academic knowledge more than shows--which is why I don't understand the reviews that claimed she was terribly biased. The book seemed to take a step back and objectively review the HISTORY of God, rather than pass judgement on one religion or another. Armstrong demonstrates that through time, humanity has always sought to fill the void of unknowing by seeking a higher power. Thus, God will always exist, even in our increasingly godless society. She follows Man's God through history--from the dawn of time until now, and examines the reasons for the different concepts of God between the Monotheists (and even modern atheists and skeptics). The book is complete. It's a tough read though--with a scholarly tone and complex sentence structures. It's not a beach book or even an airplane read. But it's worth your time and money if you're interested in the histories of both our most enduring concept/being (God) and of the interplay between religion and man.
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