David L. (marauder34) reviewed The Battle for God: A History of Fundamentalism on + 63 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
This book is too ambitious to succeed, but it's not for want of trying.
In "The Battle for God," author Karen Armstrong attempts to trace the rise of fundamentalism in the world's three major monotheistic religions, beginning with the rise of modernity in the latter 15th century up to the present time. In covering this 500-year sweep of history, she traces developments in Judaism from the Spain of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabel to modern Israel; follows the changing fortunes of Egypt and Iran; and tracks the currents of Christianity as it moves from Europe to the United States.
Along the way, Armstrong shares some thoughtful insights into how each of these three religions has evolved over the centuries in reaction to the rationalism of the Enlightenment era. She traces the pattern of the negative response religious conservatives typically have to their liberal co-religionists, common to all three religions; and makes a compelling argument that fundamentalism is not a return to the fundamentals of any religion, but it is a spirituality driven by fear of and anger at a secular world that fundamentalists feel is threatening their religion and their way of life. (And it underscores how difficult a dialogue between fundamentalists and secularists is, since each group often regards the other with horror.)
"The Battle for God" is worth reading, if you have an academic interest in religion, but it's got serious flaws. The biggest of these is its scope. Five hundred years of history is too much to compress into 400 pages; and because Armstrong assumes (most likely correctly) that her readers are less familiar with Islam than with Christianity and Judaism, she spends a fair amount of time explaining the early history of Islam, particularly the split between Shi'a and Sunni, and explicating the customs of Shi'a Islam and important beliefs concerning the Hidden Imam.
Still, it's the chapters where she deals with recent history -- the rise of the Christian Right in America, and the Islamic Revolution in Iran -- that Armstrong shines. Her analysis of that often violent intersection of religion and politics, where faith is subverted by a desire for power, influence and control, is nothing short of stunning and thoroughly absorbing.
In "The Battle for God," author Karen Armstrong attempts to trace the rise of fundamentalism in the world's three major monotheistic religions, beginning with the rise of modernity in the latter 15th century up to the present time. In covering this 500-year sweep of history, she traces developments in Judaism from the Spain of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabel to modern Israel; follows the changing fortunes of Egypt and Iran; and tracks the currents of Christianity as it moves from Europe to the United States.
Along the way, Armstrong shares some thoughtful insights into how each of these three religions has evolved over the centuries in reaction to the rationalism of the Enlightenment era. She traces the pattern of the negative response religious conservatives typically have to their liberal co-religionists, common to all three religions; and makes a compelling argument that fundamentalism is not a return to the fundamentals of any religion, but it is a spirituality driven by fear of and anger at a secular world that fundamentalists feel is threatening their religion and their way of life. (And it underscores how difficult a dialogue between fundamentalists and secularists is, since each group often regards the other with horror.)
"The Battle for God" is worth reading, if you have an academic interest in religion, but it's got serious flaws. The biggest of these is its scope. Five hundred years of history is too much to compress into 400 pages; and because Armstrong assumes (most likely correctly) that her readers are less familiar with Islam than with Christianity and Judaism, she spends a fair amount of time explaining the early history of Islam, particularly the split between Shi'a and Sunni, and explicating the customs of Shi'a Islam and important beliefs concerning the Hidden Imam.
Still, it's the chapters where she deals with recent history -- the rise of the Christian Right in America, and the Islamic Revolution in Iran -- that Armstrong shines. Her analysis of that often violent intersection of religion and politics, where faith is subverted by a desire for power, influence and control, is nothing short of stunning and thoroughly absorbing.
