A History of God is not a history of the Abrahamic religions; it is the history of the development of various understandings of God in the Abrahamic religions. It seems a subtle difference at first, but will contribute heavily to your reading experience of this book. Armstrong delves into philosophical and metaphysical conceptions of God from antiquity to the present day, but she doesn't really dwell on the history of the Abrahamic religions themselves. I had gone in expecting something more historical and was disappointed with the intense and often inscrutable philosophy I got instead. That said, it is a testament to Armstrong's skill that I, a person who loathes philosophy and metaphysics, was able to get through this entire book in a relatively short time.

My rating is frankly irrelevant; regardless of whether or not I enjoyed it, this book is a remarkable intellectual achievement. There is no denying that it is dense academic book, despite not being published by an academic press, and Armstrong's lack of sections or headings in her long chapters are a detriment to the lay reader. There were some portions that I found absolutely riveting, and there were some parts that I find dreadfully dull. That's going to be inevitable in a book that deals with such a broad subject. That said, I did enjoy this, in the sense that I feel like it has made me a better, more intelligent person. I've walked away from A History of God with a fuller and more expansive mind and mindset.

I grew up in a moderately conservative Arab Muslim family with its own very particular (and limited) conception of God. I also live in the United States, a country known for its very fundamental interpretations of Christianity. It can easily lead one to believe that these infantile and literal interpretations of God as a Man in the Sky are the only ones that have ever existed, and that they are inextricably tied to the religions behind them. Armstrong shows us that this is not, and has never been, the case. It is absolutely remarkable to me just how many different understandings of God there have been throughout history, particularly in Islam - I especially found the Sufi conceptions of God fascinating and freeing. My family considers Sufis and other mystics heretics, which is not surprising given how radical their understanding of God is, but as a Muslim-turned-atheist-turned-agnostic, it is so liberating to read about how there is room in Islam for such flexible interpretations of God. In particular, I was intrigued by the concept of God as an ineffable reality.

I was also fascinated by just how torturous and pedantic doctrinal differences can be, particularly in Western Christianity, which has split up into a myriad of different sects based on tiny, and, to outsiders, irrelevant doctrinal differences. And as a modern reader it can seem utterly bizarre just how intensely historical philosophers and scholars were devoted to understanding God's role in the world; in fact, I had no idea that so many of the famous Renaissance and Enlightenment thinkers discussed God and religion so heavily in their works. These people tied themselves up in knots and performed the most convoluted mental gymnastics to try to understand God and religion, which bolsters Armstrong's overall point that religion is integral to human nature.

While Armstrong isn't terribly concerned with historical events, she does go into the historical development of Judaism and Christianity, in a chapter that I think I will have to read at least three more times to truly internalize, as the emergence of Judaism is, well, confusing as hell. Christianity is no better; there are so many different and contradicting accounts of Jesus' life and his nature. I had no idea just what a flimsy historical foundations both of these religions were built on! The process of compiling the texts integral to these religions is just as dubious, and learning this makes it even more astonishing to me just how much some people will cling to the Bible as a literal historical account rather than parables.

Armstrong is thorough, intelligent, and balanced; her lack of bias and her open mind shine through her careful depictions of the three Abrahamic faiths' theological developments. It is particularly refreshing to see a Western academic discuss Islam and the Prophet Muhammad in such neutral, and even occasionally laudatory, tones. I've come away from A History of God with an immense trust in Armstrong's intellect and research, and will certainly be seeking out more of her work in the future.

Karen Armstrong yang dulu adalah seorang biarawati dan kemudian meninggalkan ordo nya, kini lebih terkenal sebagai pemerhati dan komentator agama-agama dunia. Sudah banyak buku yang ia tulis yang mengangkat tema keagamaan dan juga biografi tokoh agama seperti Nabi Muhammad dan Sidharta Gautama. Kali ini dalam Sejarah Tuhan (gold edition diterbitkan Mizan tahun 2012) Armstrong membahas dengan lugas, secara gamblang namun mudah dipahami tentang tiga agama monotheis terbesar di dunia: Yahudi, Kristen dan Islam.

Dalam bab pendahuluan ada secuil kisah ketika Armstrong berada dalam sebuah ordo Katolik dan keluarnya dari ini yang melatarbelakangi ia menulis Sejarah Tuhan. Cerita ini menjadi awal yang menarik dan juga pembukaan dari pembahasan yang panjang dan padat akan buku ini. Bab-bab berikutnya adalah komentar Armstrong tentang sejarah "pencarian Tuhan" yang bermula dari agama-agama politheisme Mesopotamia dan bagaimana keyakinan mereka bersinergi dengan kisah pencarian Tuhan oleh Abraham dan sejarah awal Yudaisme. Pembahasan kemudian berlanjut dalam sejarah iman Kristiani dan bagaimana konsepsi Trinitas menjadi diterima dalam keyakinan Kristen. Agama terakhir yang dibahas adalah Islam dan hubungan agama yang dibawa Rasulullah ini terhadap 2 agama sebelumnya.

Tak hanya tentang sejarah Tuhan yang muncul dalam Yahudi, Kristen dan Islam saja namun Armstrong juga membahas tentang perkembangan spritualisme dalam ketiga agama tersebut terutama dalam hal filsafat dan mistikisme. Menariknya Armstrong menerangkan bahwa sufisme Islam mempengaruhi juga Kabbalah Yahudi. Terakhir Armstrong memberikan penjelasan tentang wajah ketuhanan yang baru dalam era Pencerahan, fundamentalis dan revolusi modern. Hal ini ditutup dengan komentarnya tentang bagaimana nasib Tuhan dan agama di masa sekarang.

Armstrong dalam bukunya memberikan pemahaman yang lebih luas akan sejarah agama samawi. Sangat seru untuk jadi bahan diskusi. Buku yang patut dibaca semua orang agar menyegarkan kita kembali tentang makna sejarah atas ketuhanan itu sendiri dan bagaimana lika liku perkembangan agama di dunia.

I just completed reading this book for a second time. I enjoyed it so much the first time that I wanted to read it once more to better take in the concepts within the book. My original review is below and shows my enthusiasm.

During the second read, I still enjoyed the book but I do have some complaints as well which came out more in the second reading. One aspect that I tried to focus on more was many of the dates and specifics of historical events that have shaped the world's biggest religions.

For example, I didn't realize until I read this book for the first time that the idea of a "trinity" didn't become dogma within Christianity until 325. Over three hundred years and the religion was founded, one of its most important aspects was finalized after intense battles between Arius and Athanasius, two high ranking Christian figures of the time period.

There are many examples similar to this. When did Kaballah become a major part of Judaism? When did atheistic ideas (as we use the term today) first come start to be expressed openly in a manner that didn't immediately lead to cries of being a heretic and being killer or imprisoned?

The second time through, I also enjoyed further debates about was the "proper way" people justified their beliefs. Some, such as the Greek philosophers used their "logical arguments" that there had to be a creator since something couldn't come from nothing. This thinking was later adapted by scholars in all three of the major religions who tried to show that rationally, God could make sense and be proven.

These arguments often went against other religious figures in the same time period who would argue that mystics were the only true path to finding and connecting with God (as much as humans were capable of doing so). God couldn't be understood or argued logically, therefore only those who were given mystical abilities to connect with him would be able of communicating his desires. How much can you trust a mystic though? Are these people actually presenting God's wishes or just using their platform to advocate their own beliefs.

As I read the book again though, I was struck by how much wasn't provided. I wish had given more concrete information about how some religious practices were established. Why do Christians have certain beliefs and using certain imagery in their holidays/celebrations? Also, it would have been good to learn more about how the bible was compiled and background on controversial books left out of the bible. This would provide additional context for both Christianity and Judaism. The same could then be down for Islam in whatever capacity possible.

Also, reading this book for a second time made me notice how much time is spent talking about the beliefs of many lesser known profits who would never be very influential but just had a unique and contrasting opinion. While interesting at times, I found myself reading about the occasional obscure figure and thinking to myself that I'd never remember this information later and that it didn't provide much to the overall narrative.

Still a good book but not the perfection that I felt was there during the first reading.
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After a little more than a month, I finally completed this wonderful book. I can't remember ever being so in to a book that I also had so much difficulty reading. This book really challenged me to focus and take in the different ideas being presented. This is especially true during later chapters which focus on the philosophical debates that took place within each of the three major religions (Christianity, Islam, and Judaism). How personal should a God be to followers? Is God something that can be understood in a rational sense? Do advances in science expose problems in religions? These questions and more have plagued believers for more than a thousand years and being able to read about them was fascinating. I found myself re-reading sections to better take in these concepts.

This book was also great in providing actual history about the religions themselves. The Protestant Reformation, the split difference between Sunnis and Shiites and other Islamic branches and more are all well described. The author seems to do a great job of presenting all sides fairly and coming at the different belief structures from the points of view of the believers of that time period.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking to learn more about the history of these three religions and whose open to learning information outside of the current belief structure.

https://delsharm.blog.ir/1402/12/14/hgka

این کتاب را اتفاقی از حراجی کتاب کتابخانهٔ شهر لوس‌آلتوس پیدا کردم و از عنوانش خوشم آمد. به خاطر آن که سوگیری نسبت به نویسنده و محتوا نداشته باشم، بی‌درنگ شروع به خواندن کردم و هر چند کند، اما بالاخره کتاب را به انتها رساندم.

کارن آمسترانگ که سابقاً راهبهٔ کلیسا بوده و سپس به مطالعهٔ ادیان پرداخته در این کتاب به تاریخچهٔ پیدایش مفهوم خداوند از شروع ادیان ابراهیمی تا دورهٔ‌ پست‌مدرن پرداخته است. این کتاب به بررسی مفهوم خداوند در ادیان ابراهیمی پیش از یهودیت، زمان یهودیت، مسیحیت، پسامسیحیت، اسلام، دین فلاسفه و اهل کلام، دین عرفا وصوفیان، دین اصلاح‌گران دینی تا زمان رنسانس، و سپس مفهوم مرگ خداوند در دورهٔ اخیر می‌پردازد. قبل از رنسانس، به غیر از معدود مواردی، کافر به معنای خداناباور نبود بلکه به معنای کسی بود که خداوند را در چارچوب شناخته‌شدهٔ ادیان نمی‌شناخت؛ مانند بت‌پرستان که کافر شمرده می‌شدند.

این کتاب چیزی شبیه به کتاب‌های زرین‌کوب بسیار فشرده و پر از ارجاعات تاریخی است. من در مورد ادیان دیگر نه مطالعه‌ای داشته‌ام و نه تخصصی دارم ولی همین قدر می‌دانم که بعضی از حرف‌هایی که آرمسترانگ در مورد اسلام می‌زند از زمرهٔ اسرائیلیات یا حرف‌های روشنفکرانه‌ای است که از نظر روایت دینی سست هستند. مثلاً جایی به درستی می‌گوید که اسلام اولین دینی است که برای زنان حق مالکیت قائل شد اما در ادامه آش را شور می‌کند و در کنار فمینیست‌های اسلامی می‌ایستد که حجاب زنان تنها توصیه‌ای اخلاقی برای همسران پیامبر بوده است: کسی که اندکی با آیات قرآن و روایات اهل سنت و شیعه آشنا باشد، چنین حرفی نخواهد زد و این حرف‌ها به نظر می‌آید برداشت شخصی آرمسترانگ بعد از خواندن منابع دسته‌سوم و در واقع تفسیر به رأی روشنفکران دینی متأخر است. در جایی دیگر به درستی اشاره می‌کند که محمد به شکل معجزه‌گونی کتابی آورد که نه با سواد خودش نسبتی داشت نه با دانش عمومی مردم آن زمان عربستان؛ اما جایی دست به اسرائیلیات می‌زند آیاتی که محمد در مورد تاریخ یهودیت و مسیحیت آورده است، در مسجد مدینه از یهودیان مدینه آموخته است. اگر چنین روایتی این قدر محکم باشد باید حداقل علمای دینی اهل سنت و شیعه تلاش‌هایی برای ردش می‌کردند. ظاهراً آرمسترانگ تلاش داشته است که کتاب را به صورت قصه‌وار بیان کند و این شبهه آن‌قدر جذابیت داشته است که بخواهد آن را بیان کند حتی اگر روایتی کم‌تواتر و سست‌بنیاد باشد. بی‌انسجامی روایت آرمسترانگ در زمینهٔ دین مثلاً آن‌جایی است که اسماعیلی‌ها (غالیان) و شیعیان را در شبیه‌سازی اهل بیت به حلول خداوند در مسیح یک‌کاسه می‌کند ولی در جایی دیگر یکی از برکات اجتهاد شیعه را مسألهٔ تحریم تنباکو و سپس انقلاب اسلامی می‌داند. همهٔ این نقدها را ننوشتم که بگویم این کتاب خوبی نیست. اتفاقاً کتاب جالب و خواندنی‌ای است.


بیشتر شبهات علمی را آرمسترانگ به سمت مسیحیت می‌گیرد چرا که پس از دوره‌ای علمای مسیحی هر آنچه در متن مقدس‌شان آمده را به شکلی ظاهری به عنوان واقعیتی علمی قبول کردند و با آمدن نظریات علمی مانند تکامل و نسبیت بیشتر این‌ها زیر سؤال رفت ولی در همان موقع، به روایت کتاب، ملاصدرا سعی داشت مفاهیم دینی کتب مقدس را به شکلی کاملاً نمادین تفسیر کند چرا که زبان ساحت قدس وقتی به دنیای مادی فروکاسته می‌شود، ناچار است از نمادها استفاده کند که «من گنگ خواب‌دیده و عالم تمام کر/من ناتوان ز گفتن و خلق از شنیدنش».
شاید اگر بخواهم این کتاب را در یک بیت شعر خلاصه کنم، این شعر از قیصر امین‌پور به خاطرم می‌آید:
حتی اگر نباشی می‌آفرینمت
چونان‌که التهاب بیابان سراب را

این خدا را هر کسی در ذهنش ساخته است: انسان به خداوند نیاز دارد. خداناباورش می‌گوید این ناشی از ترس است و نوعی مخدر است برای روان متحیر انسان. دیندارش می‌گوید «انتم الفقراء الى الله». اصل مسأله هنوز سر جایش است. آرمسترانگ، از نوشته‌هایش برمی‌آید که با رویکرد عرفانی با دین، چیزی شبیه به تلقی صوفیانه از دین، بیشتر قرابت فکری دارد.

Dang, this book was one of those that literally makes your brain explode. It took me a bit of time to get through (partly because it's so dense) but also because I had to stop so often to marvel at humanity and the creation of organized religion. Moving through history with this book and seeing how humanity's conception of God has changed through the ages was insane for me. I keep moving towards this idea that all religions are merely an attempt to make sense of the divine and this book was the last step I needed to get there. We claim that the divine is incomprehensible and any attempt to make sense of the divine is going to fall way short, yet we continue to grasp at answers with religion. Armstrong says, "The Koran is highly suspicious of theological speculation, dismissing it as self-indulgent guesswork about things that nobody can possibly know or prove." And that's how I feel. We can't know things. We know we can't know things. And to pretend like we can come to some sort of logical explanation for the transcendent is utter nonsense. Speaking about the Vedas, Armstrong says, "It was designed to help people to come to terms with the wonder and terror of existence. It asked more questions than it answered, designed to hold the people in an attitude of reverent wonder." That's what spirituality is about in my opinion. Being in awe of the wonder of the world. We aren't supposed to have answers. Religion may help give you some idea of how others have experienced the divine, but it cannot give you answers. There are no answers. All you can know is your own experience.

Four stars because I think it could have been shorter and less dense. Her writing got kinda boring at some points, but overall the information was rad.

URL: http://rindupulang.blogspot.com/2001/...


Tuhan yang Menyejarah

Diskusi tentang Tuhan termasuk dalam kategori problem abadi yang tak kunjung mencapai titik final. Setiap zaman, bahkan sejak 4000 tahun yang lalu, manusia sebagai homo sapiens merekonstruksi konsep-konsep tentang Tuhannya. Tak jarang, bertolak dari konsepsi mereka terhadap Tuhan, lahir gerakan-gerakan sosial yang bersifat liberatif atau bahkan juga muncul tindakan “anarkis” demi menegakkan citra Tuhan yang mereka yakini.
Buku ini memerikan suatu peringatan dan pesan yang cukup jelas, bahwa kita semestinya tidak bersikap ahistoris terhadap konsep Tuhan yang berusaha dikenali manusia itu, bahwa ternyata sepanjang sejarah manusia nyaris memiliki konsepsi tentang Tuhan yang begitu beragam—bahkan dalam suatu periode. Buku ini secara cukup utuh menelaah pertumbuhan karakter tiga agama besar—Yahudi, Kristen, dan Islam—dalam mengkonsepsikan Tuhan dalam terang perspektif historis-sosiologis.
Ziarah intelektual yang dilakukan dalam buku ini sebenarnya bermula dari kekecewaan penulisnya, Karen Armstrong, setelah menyadari bahwa ajaran-ajaran agama yang dipelajarinya selama tujuh tahun menjadi biarawati Katolik Roma adalah hasil dari suatu konstruksi historis yang tentu saja bersifat subjektif. Kebenaran-kebenaran agama yang dikhotbahkan itu melewati proses subjektivikasi dan karena itu tidak dapat lepas dari konteks historis-sosiologis. Ini berarti gagasan manusia tentang Tuhan memiliki sejarah yang berbeda-beda antar-generasi, sehingga tidak aneh bila kadang konsepsi ketuhanan suatu generasi akan dipandang tidak cocok bagi generasi berikutnya.
Buku bagus yang terdiri dari sebelas bab ini memulai uraiannya dengan beberapa teori dan pemikiran tentang munculnya gagasan tentang Tuhan. Dengan mengutip beberapa pemikir terkemuka seperti Mircea Eliade, Wilhelm Schmidt atau Rudolf Otto, terungkap bahwa ternyata manusia memang cenderung memiliki kepercayaan terhadap yang gaib yang merupakan dasar dari setiap agama. Kepercayaan terhadap dewa misalnya merupakan contoh dari monoteisme primitif yang mempercayai adanya “Tuhan” yang menciptakan dan mengatur urusan dunia.
Semua konsepsi tentang Tuhan yang dikemukakan dari zaman ke zaman atau dari kelompok yang berbeda—mistikus, teolog, filsuf, saintis, dan sebagainya—terbukti tidak sepenuhnya harus rasional, logis, dan ilmiah. Hal ini semakin menegaskan bahwa sebenarnya setiap gagasan tentang Tuhan sebenarnya tidak sakral, karena ia mesti melibatkan penafsiran manusia. Ada semacam sisi pragmatis dari konsep tentang Tuhan, yakni asal ia bisa diterima oleh masyarakat. Muhammad misalnya, Nabi kaum muslim bertolak dari sebuah konsep dakwah yang pada awalnya cukup sederhana. Dia tidak berpikir bahwa dirinya tengah membangun sebuah agama universal (konsep Tuhan yang universal), melainkan justru menggunakan keyakinan kuno masyarakat Arab yang mengajarkan keesaan Tuhan kepada orang-orang Quraisy.
Kemudian, dalam perkembangannya, pada sekitar abad ke-17, mulai muncul gagasan-gagasan tentang ateisme. Diam-diam, beberapa kelompok mulai berniat menyingkirkan Tuhan dari kehidupan manusia. Periode ini tidak hanya spesifik dialami masyarakat Barat (Yahudi dan Kristen), tapi juga dialami kaum Muslim. Armstrong dalam buku ini memberikan suatu paparan menarik bahwa pada dasarnya ateisme itu muncul akibat ketidakcukupan konsepsi tentang Tuhan dalam mengikuti gerak roda zaman. Atau, bisa jadi ateisme ini muncul akibat merebaknya tindakan-tindakan mengerikan (pembunuhan, perang, dan sebagainya) yang dilakukan atas nama Tuhan.
Saat ini, memasuki milenium ketiga, konsepsi umat manusia tentang Tuhan dihadapkan dengan berbagai pemikiran semisal sekularisme atau spirit humanisme yang ingin menggantikan agama. Buku ini mengajak kita untuk menyegarkan kembali keberimanan kita dan pemahaman serta penghayatan kita terhadap Tuhan, menuju suatu kesadaran bahwa “sosok” Tuhan itu ternyata dapat ditangkap dengan spektrum yang amat luas. Buku ini menggelitik kita untuk melahirkan semangat dan gairah keimanan baru yang bermakna bagi masa depan manusia, agar iman kita itu tidak justru melukai nilai-nilai kemanusiaan.

Karen Armstrong has no background in history nor in the academic study of religion, and it shows. This book's approach to the three Abrahamic religions is overly simplistic, presenting only Armstrong's often-erroneous views of these three prominent religions with almost no grounding in historical fact. She picks and chooses which sources to cite in accordance with her own biases and agenda, and it is clear that however much distance she might put between her life as a nun and her life as an armchair historian, she will never be able to escape her Catholic origins. Books like this are part of the reason why so many non-academics have such a poor understanding of the history of religion in the world, and do little more than contribute to the cloud of misinformation which surrounds the field.

While this is an excellent summary of the history of the idea of God in Abrahamic religion, and I highly recommend it, I cannot give it five stars for third reasons. First, the author is overly generous in her assumptions concerning the literal interpretation of myth. For example, she asserts that the creation myths of Sumeria, Canaan, and Egypt were not intended to explain the origins of the world. Second, in her attempts at syncretism she sometimes overlooks very real, significant and extremely relevant differences between religions. Finally, she cites original sources extensively, but fails to cite any of the critical sources from which she draws; when the Higher Criticism is introduced, it is not even referenced by that name, let alone any of its proponents. Still, it is a very good guide to the development of mystical (rather than theological) thought in the three Abrahamic religions, and I recommend it especially for those who, like me, disagree with its final conclusions.

Apie tai, kaip keitėsi Dievo samprata bėgant amžiams. Kadangi nieko išsamesnio nebuvau skaitęs, tai visai patiko, nors į pabaigą pasidarė nuobodu. Gali būti, kad ėmė veikti pačios autorės požiūris į dėstomą temą.

The rise of monotheism in the middle east amidst a multitude of pagan pantheons is truly amazing and Karen Armstrong aptly explains the socio-political/cultural context behind the rise and evolution of Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. The very nature of God, as elucidated by many theologians, philosophers, mystics, and prophets, is illustrated in a certain order that clarifies the gradual development of the concept and characteristics of an almighty being.

Caution: The amount of information presented in the book pertaining to what various personalities opined about God can be daunting for many(including me) but this info. dump is a treasure trove for ardent students of theology/philosophy/mysticism.

This book by Karen Armstrong covers the development of the world's three major monotheistic faiths. Although I am incredibly interested in the subject, this book was a tough read for me. It is very dense with information and I probably ended up skimming the text more than I should have. I'll most likely end up re-reading it some time down the road to gain a greater appreciation of the subject.

stop in the mid of book, maksud hati ingin mendapat pencerahan terkait sejarah agama2 monoteisme tapi bukannya semakin tercerahkan tapi malah semakin bingung. mungkin sebaiknya harus memiliki pengetahuan teologi yg memadai terlebih dahulu sebelum membaca buku ini.
buku ini juga menunjukkan bahwa Tuhan terlalu besar dan agung untuk dibahas dan dipahami secara rasional. perubahan definisi dan pemahaman akan Tuhan di tiap jaman dan bangsa bukan berarti bahwa Tuhan selalu berubah2 mengikuti perkembangan jaman, tetapi lebih karena keterbatasan manusia untuk memahami Tuhan dan pemahaman manuasia akan Tuhan pun pada akhirnya mengikuti kebutuhan spiritual mereka. terlalu naif bagi manusia untuk memahami dan mendefinisikan Tuhan, kecuali meyakiniNya sebagai penguasa alam yang Maha Segala.
not recommended for those who are in the process of seeking their true faith.