Rating: 
Summary: Comprehensive, Challenging, and of Great Significance
Review: Armstrong's "History of God", much like Jaspers' "Great Philosophers", is a truly first rate introduction to the field of religious history for three primary reasons. Firstly, as somebody relatively unfamiliar with the major monotheistic traditions, I found the breadth and scope of the work to be simply amazing. The variety of periods which Armstrong covers and the extent to which she covers them makes even a new comer to the field such as myself leave the work with a significantly deeper understanding of the disciplines of western theology and religious philosophy and the course they have taken. Secondly, this work is a serious commentary on the Western European/North American mind. As somebody frequently troubled by the western (but particularly American) emphasis on the literal character of the Bible and their respective canons, Armstrong's book sheds light on the nature and history of this peculiar tradition of western European thought. Finally, the extent and rigor which Armstrong applies to her research is indicative of the high academic quality of this work. Thus while the book is of immense value to the uninitiated, even to the very scholarly it retains a high level of value. While a more thorough discussion of the modern developments in Eastern Christian thought would have been appreciated (if for nothing else but for the sake of balance), Armstrong's book is a work of amazing scholarly achievement that is at once both a fabulous introduction to understanding serious thought about the divine in Islam, Christianity, and Judaism and an amazing commentary on the world view of AMericans and Western Europeans. I recommend it very highly.
Rating: 
Summary: Made me think -- maybe too much?
Review: Karen Armstrong gives the readers a comprehensive view of the evolution of the three monotheistic faiths. In many respects, this is an eye-opening history, and will probably make many fundamentalists of all three faiths weep and gnash their teeth, and with good reason. We need to see that God is as much an evolving idea as He is a Being (or, perhaps, "Non-being") that creates and sustains us. Armstrong deftly shows us how the early Hebrews developed their concept of Yahweh from the early pagan war and fertility cults, how the concept of Jesus as savior and sacrifice for our sins developed, how the issue of the Trinity was addressed, and how Islam came to be.
What was distressing, though, is that while Armstrong correctly, in my opinion, points out the dangers of a literal God, goes too far in condemning an anthropomorphic God. I found myself depressed by the end of the book, questioning the conclusion, it seemed, that God did not exist, or if he did, he wasn't there as a Being. Reading this book certainly shook my faith, and I recommend reading this book with care, especially as one gets into the later chapters that focus on the development of atheism. Readers who are in a state of spiritual upheaval could find this book extremely challenging, though I believe that faith grows from our doubts.
Rating:
Summary: couldn't put down this history of the monotheistic religions
Review: I found Ms. Armstrong's book to be completely absorbing. I have a strongly ecumenical background, and her thorough "history of God" and the concepts of the divine were both riveting and illuminating. Of course I'd never let my mother come near the book, nor would she want to, since she's an ardent fundamental Christian. But for those spiritual searchers who have an open mind about the pathway(s) to God, this book fills in plenty of blanks and stimulates a great deal of thought. I was particularly pleased to see how similar Judaism, Christianity and Islam are "at heart" -- and am all the more saddened that we all seem to be at each other's throats, even within our own practices. I heard Karen Armstrong on NPR the other day. I wish she lived in my neighborhood and I could spend hours over coffee talking with her!
Rating: 
Summary: Subjectivity is the name of the game
Review: Humans have been recording their thoughts about God since the invention of writing. They have struggled to understand their place in the universe and, in doing so, develop ideas regarding their creator and purpose. Yet, ideas about the divine are much older than that, and only through writing are these thoughts relayed. In the West there are three major traditions of "people of the book", which are traditions that possess what are believed to be divinely inspired works and have committed their thoughts regarding the divine to extensive compartmentalized writings. Karen Armstrong looks at 4,000 years of religious thought in her "A History of God", a much maligned but Herculean effort designed to not only bring general understanding of historical trends and ideas in religion, but to put to paper her own ideas regarding the divine. Armstrong seeks to document the historical events and major thinkers in the three main Western religious traditions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. She is not looking to wrangle with theology as much as examine how ideas of God have been transformed in a historical perspective. The idea of God means different things to different people at different times and is dependent upon historical instance, place and condition. Armstrong organizes her book by first looking at the pagan foundations of these traditions, and then linearly each in turn. She subsequently moves on to the philosophy that arose and the mysticism that organically evolved. Lastly, she addresses the God as conceived in Post-Enlightenment thought and whether, put into historical perspective, God has a place in the modern world. The major themes in the book stress the ineffability of God, God as Nothing, and most importantly, the subjective experience of God. Perhaps the greatest criticism levied against the book - and often its greatest praise - is her unrelenting attack on Christianity. Her dry evaluation seeks to put Christianity in its proper historical context, while also giving sympathetic space to one of the lesser-understood traditions in the West, Islam. Perhaps this is in reaction to Christianity being so dominant and influential, or it could be due to her seven years as a Christian nun where she left her order dissatisfied. Regardless, what one takes away is that she is not altogether fair in her evaluation of personages and thought in Christianity.
She takes the reader on a dizzying journey with an immense scope. Armstrong attempts to condense 4,000 years of religious thought into a mere 400-page book. She makes a remarkable effort at touching on the major influences, outlining the thought of the key thinkers and theological underpinnings with relative succinctness. Ultimately, for the interested reader, what mar her text are blatant errors and omissions. Armstrong has done her homework, but the inaccuracies lead one to question the overall scholarship of the book - and most insidiously - her intentions. One could chalk it up to sloppy research, but she gets so much right that when she does commit an error, coupled with her marginalization of some religious thought at the expense of others, it raises flags.
Overall, A History of God is exactly what its title leads you to expect. It is not "the" history of God; there is no definite article. It is Karen Armstrong's history of God. And if we should believe and perpetrate the subjectivity that she is a proponent of, then ultimately we learn more about her then we do in her 4,000-year relay race of religious thought.
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.
Rating:
Summary: Listen To Some Truth For Once!
Review: I'm a Christian and a Buddhist and I think this is a fabulous book! It's time we used the intellect God gave us and looked beyond our limited doctrines to the truth beyond all religions. Yes, there is much of the author's opinion here, just as there is in any book written by Jerry Falwell or somebody else of "faith." Except Ms. Armstrong's is one informed of much research, and an understanding of the historicity of the various books of faith. Anybody who insists on the accuracy of their particular holy book will not like what Karen Armstrong has to say. In her mind, all of them are created equal. What a brave and brilliant woman! God Bless You All! Challenge your faith, and discover a greater truth, and come closer to God.
Rating:
Summary: A great survey
Review: Karen Armstrong is in a unique position to discuss matters of interfaith history and connection. A former Roman Catholic nun, she also has a background as a teacher at a Rabbinical college, and is also an honourary member of the Association of Muslim Social Sciences. Her background interest in matters religious goes back to her childhood, which she shares in the introduction to this volume, when she first experienced religion as being about fear, and then later learned the more wonderful sides. She freely confesses her difficulties with matters of faith and belief, often made deeper and more troubling the more she studied the history of religion (one reason some denominations do not trust seminary training is that they feel it brings about a crisis of faith). Despite her initial misgivings, she believed that humankind was a spiritual race; she thought that God was merely a construct, and she found much more. God is in many ways a construct, done by rabbis, priests, sufis, wise people of all faiths. There is a real sense in which God is new for each new person, and yet there are commonalities, particularly between and among the three great monotheistic religions born of the Abrahamic tradition. This book represents not a history of God per se, but rather a history of humanity's perceptions of God over the past 4000 years, from the earliest days of Abraham to the present in its grand and often dangerous diversity. Norris takes a look at different constructions of God. The first chapter looks specifically at the world at the time of Abraham, not specifically any set of years during which the figure Abraham might have lived (we do not know this date with any degree of certainty), but rather prehistory to the Axial Age, a time of reinterpretation of prehistoric carry-forwards into a time of greater civilisation. The beginnings of many concepts of God began here; later chapters develop these more fully. The second chapter develops a 'typical' view of early Jewish doctrines of God; the third and fourth introduce Christian doctrines, including the often-problematic trinitarian doctrine; the fifth chapter looks at the Muslim perception of God as overarching unity. These chapters look at liturgical, scriptural and historical developments. The succeeding chapters look at different ideas of God that influence all three religions (albeit in different ways) as well as non-believer images of God. Philosophy has always played a pivotal role in theology, with an uneasy relationship sometimes in support of and sometimes opposed to dominant views of God. God viewed through the rational lens of philosophy is very different from the ecstatic experience of God by the mystics - kabbalism, sufism, monasticism, solitary mystics and divines all have left writings that sound remarkably similar, and look past the surface trappings of religions to get to what is held to be a deeper unity and truth. The period of the Reformation marked significant changes in the perception of God in the West, but it also had serious changes for the Orthodox, the Muslims and the Jews of the same period. The long-impregnable city of Constantinople was captured by the Turks, who made political strides against the Christians in the East only to be turned back by them in the West. The Muslim culture was in fact more powerful than the Christian culture of the time, and far more unified, but failed to capitalise upon this position, or foresee the shifting situation in Europe, which seemed to be fragmenting rather than moving forward. During this time also, it seemed a dark age for Jews, who were regularly expelled or subjected to inquisitions in Christendom; and Jews desired a need for more direct experience of God - mystical practices, particularly among Sephardic Jews, arose to fill a very present need. The Enlightenment touched Judaism, Christianity and Islam in important ways also. The beginnings of secularlism are to be found in the Enlightenment, a doctrine that continues to exist in diverse ways with each of the three major religions. The immutability of law and order, the ideas of divine rights of rulers and cultures and destinies ordained (or preordained) by God gave way to ideas of change, progress, and egalitarianism in societies where each of the three religions was dominant. The changes were more pronounced in Christianity and Judaism than Islam, but changes did occur everywhere, and as new forms of government were founded (the American Revolution, the French Revolution, etc.), the role of religion ceased to have the central place in civic life that it had; this, however, sometimes only served to emphasise its importance in other directions, not always productive toward the rest of society. The extremists of all three religions can be traced back to influences from and reactions to situations and ideas formed in the Enlightenment. The nineteenth and twentieth centuries are intensely problematic for organised religion in the world of all varieties. Again the idea of philosophy came into play, this time teamed with an ever-growing dominance of science and technology as 'objective' ways of perceiving and judging the world. Science had sometimes been the handmaiden of religion - for example, astronomy had flourished in Muslim cultures as being practical and useful for determining the direction to Mecca, among other uses. However, without state sanctioning power and overall intellectual support from academies, it became more possible for people to question not only the perceptions of God and practices appropriate toward God, but the very existence of God. Nietzsche was not the only one to declare God dead, but merely the most dramatic of such declarers. In her chapter on the future, Norris paints a conflicted picture of what is to come. Will we have faith? Will we remember the past? Ultimately, she does not know any more than any of us, the readers. Doing a quick survey of modern theological and philosophical trends (mostly Western), the future is left wide open.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Overview of the evolution of 3 western religions
Review: This book by Karen Armstrong provides an overview and, to an extent, personal journey through the history of 3 religions. She does so in a descriptive sense rather than a simple recounting of names, dates and events. What results is a portrayal of what the beliefs and believers were trying to accomplish as they meet various challenges. For those who hold to a notion of fixed immutable truths, this book will come as a shock. An example: Ms. Armstrong describes the debates in the early Christian church over very basic and fundamental "truths" which eventually became dogma. That these disagreements were among individuals who were not trying to denigrate a religion but rather to enhance understanding, makes the story all the more compelling.
As she moves forward to modern times, the author relates the religions' responses and reactions to both internal and external events. One can see the effect of these influences in modifying the way in which people related to their god. Ms Armstrong touches upon various authors, theologians, philosophers exemplifying ideas and changing approaches. What results is not so much a detailed chronological history of any of the three religions, as much as a feeling of how these beliefs have progressed through history and what they have meant to humanity.
Toward the end of the book, in more modern times, the author touches upon atheism. She expresses some positive aspects in denying a more autocratic and less credible God. At the very end, however, she addresses the anomie inherent from this and a more secular society. Rather than leave that as an "answer" she moves on to mysticism as a more genuine approach to an ineffable God.
Note that this history reflects Ms Armstrong's views.While I happen to agree with many of her conclusions and assumptions, others may differ. However, the sheer cogency of writing and depth of her research warrant consideration.
Overall a worthwhile journey, recommended for those seeking to see more in their own religion and themselves.
Rating: 
Summary: Amazon needs more honesty in their reader review section
Review: To be honest, I haven't read Karen Armstrong's A History of God. I read through almost every review of it however and noticed something interesting. The vast majority of reviewers had very little good to say about it. The spotlight reviews at the top of the list were of course glowing reviews from obviously biased readers. Naturally it makes sense for Amazon to place the glowing reviews at the top. Their goal is to sell copies of the book afterall. The trouble is, if the vast majority were dissatisfied with this book, it seems dishonest to spotlight reviews which say the opposite. The question is, is it more important to sell mass copies of a book, or to have satisfied customers? In the latter case, the spotlight reviews should be the reviews that were found most helpful by the most people, rather than simply the 5-star comments. Of course, I haven't read "A History of God" as I said, so I'm merely commenting on the reviews, not necessarily on the book itself. After reading the reviews, I have decided that I wouldn't even read this book if it was free, never mind buy a copy. When reading any review for any product, it's important for a consumer to consider the source of the review. Keep an eye out for bias in either direction, and consider what motivation the reviewer might have to slant the positive and negative qualities of the product(s) in question. Your satisfaction as a customer is at stake if you don't.
Rating:
Summary: couldn't put down this history of the monotheistic religions
Review: I found Ms. Armstrong's book to be completely absorbing. I have a strongly ecumenical background, and her thorough "history of God" and the concepts of the divine were both riveting and illuminating. Of course I'd never let my mother come near the book, nor would she want to, since she's an ardent fundamental Christian. But for those spiritual searchers who have an open mind about the pathway(s) to God, this book fills in plenty of blanks and stimulates a great deal of thought. I was particularly pleased to see how similar Judaism, Christianity and Islam are "at heart" -- and am all the more saddened that we all seem to be at each other's throats, even within our own practices. I heard Karen Armstrong on NPR the other day. I wish she lived in my neighborhood and I could spend hours over coffee talking with her!
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