A History of God: The 4,000-Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam

karen armstrong

Why does God exist? How have the three dominant monotheistic religions--Judaism, Christianity, and Islam--shaped and altered the conception of God? How have these religions influenced each other? In this stunningly intelligent book, Karen Armstrong, one of Britain's foremost commentators on religious affairs, traces the history of how men and women have perceived and experienced God, from the time of Abraham to the present.

The epic story begins with the Jews' gradual transformation of pagan idol worship in Babylon into true monotheism--a concept previously unknown in the world. Christianity and Islam both rose on the foundation of this revolutionary idea, but these religions refashioned 'the One God' to suit the social and political needs of their followers. From classical philosophy and medieval mysticism to the Reformation, Karen Armstrong performs the near miracle of distilling the intellectual history of monotheism into one superbly readable volume, destined to take its place as a classic.

Praise for History of God

"An admirable and impressive work of synthesis that will give insight and satisfaction to thousands of lay readers."--The Washington Post Book World

"A brilliantly lucid, spendidly readable book. [Karen] Armstrong has a dazzling ability: she can take a long and complex subject and reduce it to the fundamentals, without oversimplifying."--The Sunday Times (London)

"Absorbing . . . A lode of learning."--Time

"The most fascinating and learned study of the biggest wild goose chase in history--the quest for God. Karen Armstrong is a genius."--A.N. Wilson, author of Jesus: A Life

Genres religionhistorynonfictionphilosophyspiritualityislamtheologychristianityjudaismfaith

460 pages, Paperback

First published January 1,1993

This edition

Format: 460 pages, Paperback
Published: August 9, 1994 by Ballantine Books
ISBN: 9780345384560
ASIN: 0345384563
Language: English

About the author

karen armstrong

Karen Armstrong is a British author and commentator of Irish Catholic descent known for her books on comparative religion. A former Roman Catholic religious sister, she went from a conservative to a more liberal and mystical Christian faith. She attended St Anne's College, Oxford, while in the convent and graduated in English. She left the convent in 1969. Her work focuses on commonalities of the major religions, such as the importance of compassion and the Golden Rule.
Armstrong received the US$100,000 TED Prize in February 2008. She used that occasion to call for the creation of a Charter for Compassion, which was unveiled the following year.