The Battle for God: A History of Fundamentalism by Karen Armstrong

Oct 22, 2012 Steve aka Sckenda rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: religion, history-world, fundamentalism, islam, jewish, christian, mythology

I read The Battle for God: A History of Fundamentalism a week after the 9-11 attacks in an attempt to better understand how certitude can motivate such reckless hate. So who is a fundamentalist?

Karen Armstrong, a British religious scholar and former nun, sees fear as the root of fundamentalism: Christianity; Islam; and Judaism. She writes:

Fundamentalisms are embattled forms of spirituality, which have emerged as a response to a perceived crisis. They are engaged in a conflict with enemies whos

...more

37 likes · like · see review

Sep 09, 2007 Joseph Soltero rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Great information, but watch out for Armstrong's premise

If I could, I would give Armstrong's book 3½ stars because it *is* an excellent source of information dealing with fundamentalist-like religious sects from Columbus' time and on. Armstrong writes eloquently and her material is well-organized and easy to understand.
However, in an attempt to explain the fundamentalist mindset, Armstrong argues that "people of the past... evolved two ways of thinking, and acquiring knowledge... mythos and logo...more Great information, but watch out for Armstrong's premise

If I could, I would give Armstrong's book 3½ stars because it *is* an excellent source of information dealing with fundamentalist-like religious sects from Columbus' time and on. Armstrong writes eloquently and her material is well-organized and easy to understand.
However, in an attempt to explain the fundamentalist mindset, Armstrong argues that "people of the past... evolved two ways of thinking, and acquiring knowledge... mythos and logos". She describes mythos as "concerned with what was thought to be timeless and constant in our existence... [concerned] with meaning... [and with] the origins of life" (p. xv).

Logos, then, supposedly "was the rational, pragmatic, and scientific thought that enabled [people] to function well in the world" (p. xvi). The modern West, she contends, has lost mythos, preferring a future-oriented world view (logos) that prioritizes factuality and rationality. Armstrong thus constructs a happy little world in the past where both logos and mythos balanced each other perfectly (cf. p. xvii), setting up the argument that fundamentalism today is a response to the contemporary lack of mythos.

Unfortunately, such a balanced world simply did not exist, and her premise is consequently undermined. For example, on p. 95, Armstrong laments the Higher Criticism assessment of the Bible as "the triumph of the rational discourse of logos over myth". By this time, she writes, "Western people had lost the original sense of the mythical, and thought that doctrines and scriptural narratives were logoi, narratives that purported to be factually accurate..."

Excuse me, but what Bible is Armstrong using? My Bible certainly `purports' its narratives actually did happen, or that at least the writers believed so (not that I agree). Luke claims he wrote his account "after investigating everything carefully from the very first" (Lk. 1:3, NRSV). John includes the "testimonials" of a few people who swear to the factuality of the events they are recounting (cf. Jn. 19:35; 20:30-31; 21:24-25). Paul leans on the literal resurrection of Jesus to support his teachings (1 Cor. 15:14). The Old Testament cites now-lost books as if to further substantiate its account of Israel's history (cf. Josh. 10:13; 2 Sam. 1:18). Thus, the narratives Armstrong considers "mythoi" are affirmed by their own authors as something strikingly more akin to her definition of logos.

And note that the New Testament writers looked *forward* to the literal Second Coming of Jesus, clearly more in the spirit of logos. In fact, many of them broke with tradition (the past), believing something new had come and would return.

Another example: Armstrong portrays the Passover Seder as a mythos meant to help Jews experience the Exodus myth and "[bring] this strange story into their own lives... to make it their own" (p. xvi). She asserts that "[t]o ask whether the Exodus from Egypt took place exactly as recounted in the Bible or to demand historical and scientific evidence to prove that it is factually true is to mistake the nature and purpose of this story." Oh, is it now? A cursory reading of the Haggadah reveals how its authors intended the Seder to be a commemoration of an event which they believed occurred, not in mythical "timeless realities", but in actual history.

Many other texts could be used to demonstrate how the neatly divided realms of mythos and logos did not exist. The Nicene Creed, for example, does not present a Jesus who was crucified in the eternal world of mythic truth, since its sources do not do so either. But I trust that I've made my point.

In short, I *do* recommend this book for its historical information: dates, events, people, and places. But I suggest readers not take too seriously the whole mythos-logos premise as the reason for the rise of fundamentalism.(less)

11 likes · like · see review

May 10, 2007 Sean rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The history of the various religious fundamentalist movements always intrigued me. Fundamentalists exist in all religions, and I always wanted to figure out the common thread that connect all such movements. I would say most people really do not know what fundamentalism actually is and what purpose it serves in the Abrahamic religions, let alone the history of such movements. What is the history of this line of thinking? What are the reasons? Why is fundamentalism so prevalent now? These are gre...more

2 likes · like · see review

Jan 09, 2009 Yanni rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I learned about what fundamentalism is and how it arose, particularly fascinating to see the mirror of fundamentalism in all the Abrahamic religions and how similar it is in each case - literalistic understandings of scripture that are in fact quite a "modern" idea.
Perhaps it is modern because these days literacy is now so high that really unintelligent people can also read their scriptures on their own, with their own limited understandings? Just my own musing.

I think that in case of Christian...more

1 like · like · see review

Dec 24, 2012 Erika RS rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is classic Armstrong.

The Battle For God describes the aspects of the histories of the three great monotheisms (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) which led to the rise of modern fundamentalism in all three. In the process, she explores some of the commonalities of these different fundamentalisms and their origins. This book is jam packed with information, so I will not try to cover any of the specific. Instead, I will focus on the high level themes.

In Armstrong's view, fundamentalisms a...more This book is classic Armstrong.

The Battle For God describes the aspects of the histories of the three great monotheisms (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) which led to the rise of modern fundamentalism in all three. In the process, she explores some of the commonalities of these different fundamentalisms and their origins. This book is jam packed with information, so I will not try to cover any of the specific. Instead, I will focus on the high level themes.

In Armstrong's view, fundamentalisms arise as a result of the process of modernization and are themselves deeply modern movements. By the process of modernization she means, roughly, the transformation from mostly agrarian societies with a focus on the past and present to societies whose success is based and innovation and whose members are future oriented. This future orientation causes a focus on the rational and a discounting of the mythological. Armstrong claims that in pre-modern times, these two modes of reasoning were seen as complementary, not competitive. In modern times, mythological truth is seen as an oxymoron. Myth is seen as story and lie.

Armstrong defines mythological truth implicitly rather than ever coming out and saying what it is. She seems to see mythological truth as having two components: it cannot be proven rationally and its purpose is to give meaning rather than to be right. One of the commonalities of different fundamentalism is that they try to make mythological truths into rational truths which causes damage both to the religion itself and the world they try to apply their literalized truths to.

One of Armstrong's central theses is that fundamentalism is essentially a modern response to the changing world. Fundamentalists generally try to turn their mythological truths into logical truths. As such, the fundamentalist vision of a religion is no more authentic than the world they are rebelling against. However, the fundamentalist vision is structured so that the adherents to the vision think it is more authentic.

The modernization process began as scientists like Copernicus showed that our intuitions and perceptions do not map cleanly onto the truth of reality. In fact, sometimes or intuitions and perceptions can be downright misleading. Fundamentalist ideologies, whether religious or not, often are rebelling against this complexity of reality. They try to push a simplified version of reality onto their adherents and, sometimes, onto others.

But the rise of fundamentalism is not related solely to changes in our views of the world and its abstractions. Fundamentalism often arises because of specific historic events. It is undeniable that the modernization process has often been harsh. The raising up of people in the lower ranks of society has often led to a demand for more uniformity. The "other" has always been perceived as a threat, but when that fear of the other is combined with the increasing power of modern states, the results can be disastrous.

Because of this, much of The Battle for God reads like an extended lesson in the history of Europe, the Middle East, and the US from the 15th century through the present. As someone who is not a history buff (and, therefore, whose view of history is strongly influenced by the western bias of history lessons in the American education system), I learned a lot. I pretty much knew nothing about most of the history of the Middle East. Now I know a little! While her view was certainly biased (even if you ignore the bias that all authors bring to the table, she was only interested in those events which related to the topic of religious fundamentalism), it is still impossible for someone like me to come away with this without having some seriously altered views.

Probably the most fundamental change in view that I got from the history Armstrong presented had to do with my perception of the attitudes of Muslims to the west. While I knew at an abstract level that the west had not been good to the Middle East, I had not realized what a rational basis their hatred has. The west has screwed over that region again and again and again. Now, I don't think that the fact that the hatred has a rational basis means the hatred itself is rational, but if I had been treated like they were, I would also likely perceive the west as evil.

Armstrong, as usual, gives us a book jam packed with information. The main strength of this book is the sympathy with which Armstrong views fundamentalists. While she clearly thinks that they are going about "rescuing" religion in the wrong way, she also helps the reader to understand why these fundamentalists react the way they do. This is certainly a good read in you are interested in understanding where fundamentalism in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam came from.(less)

like · see review

Dec 21, 2012 Warwick rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: religion, history, iran, israel, usa, christianity, judaism, islam

For the last decade or so, most of us have had to form some kind of opinion on religious fundamentalism, and it's a subject which can very easily become hysterical, sensational or just terrifying when it's addressed by the mass media. This exceptional book, which came out a few years ago now, is a careful examination of fundamentalism in Islam, Christianity and Judaism, and it tries to answer the basic questions many people feel – who the hell are these people, and how can they believe what they...more For the last decade or so, most of us have had to form some kind of opinion on religious fundamentalism, and it's a subject which can very easily become hysterical, sensational or just terrifying when it's addressed by the mass media. This exceptional book, which came out a few years ago now, is a careful examination of fundamentalism in Islam, Christianity and Judaism, and it tries to answer the basic questions many people feel – who the hell are these people, and how can they believe what they believe?

As a jumping-off point, Armstrong points to an ancient distinction between two forms of truth (as described by the Greeks): mythos and logos. Logos is scientific, rational truth which has allowed us to build cars and bridges and visit other planets. Mythos is a different kind of truth, found in myth, art, and in the beliefs of religion. The central theme of her book is that fundamentalism is essentially the result of confusing one kind of truth with another.

As she demonstrates, pre-modern peoples saw religion as belonging firmly to the realm of mythos. Religion was concerned with stories and concepts not to be taken literally, but used as ways to consider the nature of humanity, our relationship to the spiritual, and our place in the world. Logos is useful for science and politics, but it cannot answer the big questions of existence: that is the job of mythos, and the two realms of truth were kept very separate until a few hundred years ago. But after the Enlightenment, when rationalism became so effective and so much a part of life, there was a gradual change of mood, and an increased sense that scientific truth was more important than spiritual or mythic truths. Mythos became sidelined and subsequently discredited as ‘only’ a myth. It was, Armstrong argues, in reaction to this mentality that some religious groups, feeling threatened, attempted to reinterpret mythos as logos, taking religious concepts as being literally true, and using them as a basis for legislation and political life.

Using this distinction between scientific and spiritual truths makes for an interesting reexamination of historical issues: the Reformation, for instance, becomes a clash between idea systems. In the pre-modern Catholic church, the Eucharist was a rich spiritual symbol of human participation in the divine. But for the rational Reformers, it must either be literally true (Luther), or else plain false (Zwingli, Calvin). They were unable to see beyond scientific truth. Similarly, for many Orthodox Jews in the 1930s and '40s, the idea of a modern State of Israel was deeply abhorrent. For them, Israel was a profound symbol of their religion, a vital part of Jewish spirituality to be contemplated – not a place to make a farm and start tilling sacred soil. When many of the ultra-Orthodox considered a kibbutz, Armstrong writes, they ‘felt the same outrage and dread as, later, people felt when the heard about the Nazi death camps.’ She adds, ‘This is not an exaggeration,’ and cites Jewish clerics who actually blamed the Holocaust on the settlement of Israel.

By pointing to such fundamental differences of opinion, Armstrong shows that most contemporary fundamentalist movements are in fact decidedly modern, despite the fact that they all profess a wish to go ‘back to basics’. The literalism which is seen in fundamentalism is a concept which is really only a few centuries old.

She is particularly strong when it comes to Islam, pointing out that while Western Europe had three or four hundreds years to adjust to modern rationalism, most Islamic countries had such ideas foisted on them more or less overnight by colonial powers (generally Britain, France, Russia and later the US). It is difficult for most of us to understand, for example, why terrorists seem to hate democracy, but she points out that the Islamic experience of democracy has been very different from ours – imposed on a country in one fell swoop, and usually resulting in a lot of business contracts for foreign companies, and a lot of money for those in power but little for anyone else. Her case studies of Egypt and Iran make this point beyond doubt, and show the importance of making a place for religion in society, to prevent it from becoming sidelined and hence feeling threatened.

If you're from the UK or the States, the book is not comfortable reading, since most of the problems in the Middle East are traced squarely back to Western interference, and in some cases the details are heartbreaking. In particular, America's complete failure to understand Islamic societies throws a lot of light on the Iranian Revolution as well as the rise in reactionary groups, and reading this won't make you feel too hopeful about Iraq's or Afghanistan's chances, let alone the way Iran itself is currently being dealt with.

But this is far from being an exclusively Islamic problem; rather, the book shows that fundamentalism is just a reaction to the secularism of modern life, a frightened response to the ‘God-shaped hole’ which Sartre talked about, or Nietzsche's ‘God is dead’. We have lost an appreciation of mythos in the West – though many people feel the lack of it, which may explain the popularity of such things as tarot cards, dream dictionaries and psychoanalysis. In that sense, this book, while clearly condemning the abuses of fundamentalism, is equally unimpressed by modern secularism. ‘If fundamentalists must evolve a more compassionate assessment of their enemies in order to be true to their religious traditions,’ she writes, ‘secularists must also be more faithful to the benevolence, tolerance and respect for humanity which characterizes modern culture at its best, and address themselves more empathetically to the fears, anxieties and needs which so many of their fundamentalist nieghbours experience’. These movements do not represent a knee-jerk reaction, but a considered response to modernity, and unless we try and understand that, the problems will not go away.

This is an important book. Suffice to say that if you have any interest in religion, politics, history or current affairs then you will get something out of it. I hope as many people as possible read it.(less)

3 likes · like · see review

Dec 11, 2012 Philip rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I had had my eye on "The Battle for God: A History of Fundamentalism" by Karen Armstrong, for some time, as I admire Armstrong and have always scratched my head at fundamentalism, i.e., how could anyone fall for that stuff (the classic response from a liberal Christian)? So I read the book at last--and found it an absolutely fascinating, impeccably researched, and well-written volume for anyone else who might scratch their head about fundamentalism, or who might wonder 1) what Christian, Jewish,...more

1 like · like · see review

Jun 28, 2012 Kumail rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: religion, fundamentalism

In The Battle for God, Karen Armstrong traces the history of fundamentalism in the three monotheistic religions, i.e. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The author explains fundamentalism to be a modern phenomenon, which could only take place in our modern times. It is only in the post twenty century world that religion has been sent into the aisles while the values of liberalism control all aspects of human life. It is this attitude towards religion which allows the fundamentalist zeal to grow o...more In The Battle for God, Karen Armstrong traces the history of fundamentalism in the three monotheistic religions, i.e. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The author explains fundamentalism to be a modern phenomenon, which could only take place in our modern times. It is only in the post twenty century world that religion has been sent into the aisles while the values of liberalism control all aspects of human life. It is this attitude towards religion which allows the fundamentalist zeal to grow out of bounds. Fundamentalists consider themselves as the last saviours of religion; they have a mission to bring back religion from the aisles to the centre of our modern society.

Karen Armstrong gives a detailed account of different fundamentalist tendencies in the three faiths. She analyses the Heredims in Judaism, Protestant premillennialism in Christianity, and Syed Qutb's and Khomini's revolutions in Islam.

All these movements have transformed religious mythos into logos. In the pre-modern world, myths were never meant to be considered form a rational point of view. The inherent enigma present inside the mythos allowed people to connect with the divine. The logos, the practical aspects of religion, was always complemented these mythos. Therefore, a perfect balance between mythos and 'the practical' was always present. This balance was completely destroyed after the rise of scientific modern world. This new world was based on tangible and empirical evidences, with no room for mythos. Everything that was logo was open for a critical examination. As the fundamentalist cannot disregard mythos, they have tried to transform their respective religious mythos into concrete ideological logos. Be it the theory of Zionism, the idea of rapture, or the institution of Vilayat-e-Faqi. On the basic level, it is the transformation of mythos that has provided the much need energy to drive fundamentalism in the modern world.

Secondly, in today's world, Nihilism has become a basic ingredient of fundamentalist movements. They have created suicide bombers, excommunicated people who criticise their ideologies, and have put their back towards the modern world. It is these nihilistic tendencies which drives Jewish fundamentalist to plan an attack on the Dome of Rocks and Muslim fundamentalists, such as Taliban, to kill innocent men and women in the name of God. Nihilism has become an integral part of their program.

Meanwhile, the book also maintains that fundamentalism is primarily a modern movement. It is a reaction to the ethos of the modern world. In this respect, fundamentalism isn't an inherently religious movement. It has originated due to the internal dialectics of modern societies. Hence, it is the scientific drive which has led Christians and Muslims alike to test their sacred scriptures on the touchstone of modern science. Moreover, the alienation created as a result of the total neglect of mythos has clearly distorted our subconscious self. Humans always need mythos as much as they need logos. This alienation has created, in the words of Sartre, a "God-shaped hole" that needs to be filled up. Fundamentalism tries to fill this alienation problem, but mostly it is unsuccessful in performing this task.

The author has done an excellent job in trying to explain the fundamentalist's view point from their own perspective. Without understanding their believe structure, it is quite impossible to dialogue with them. Dealing with a fundamentalist is like dealing with an anachronistic person. A modernist and a fundamentalist can never understand each other points of view, because they don't exist on the same plane of thought.

The book prophetically claims hat fundamentalism is here to stay. Liberalism hasn't been able to solve all human problems on the basis of rationality. Fundamentalists of the three faiths will always exploit this fact for their personal agendas.

The aim of this seminal book was to present a historical analysis of Fundamentalism. The author has excellently done her job. She has elaborated all forms of fundamentalists tendencies which have arisen in these great faiths. The book is highly referenced and an excellent bibliography is presented at the end.(less)

like · see review

Jun 15, 2012 Nomad rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: history, karen-armstrong

'The Battle for G-d' was very interesting. It was an extremely heavy read and there were times that I had to put it down and take a breather. This is a weighty topic and a very loaded one as well and sometimes I needed to step away from the seriousness of it for a week or two. However, having said that I feel that this is an essential book and given the political climate of the United States, Isreal, Egypt and Iran... it is vital to calling one's self informed to read books like this one.

This bo...more

like · see review

Aug 08, 2010 Mark rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Armstrong offers an interesting book on the history of fundamentalism with regard to the three Judaic religious beliefs: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The book is well-written (much in the same style as her other books if you have read them), and offers much useful information, some of which is surprising.
It is important to remember, maybe moreso in this particular book, that Armstrong was a Catholic nun in her past. When writing about Christian fundamentalism, it seems that Catholic fundame...more

like · see review

Aug 25, 2011 Marty Solomon rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

What a fantastic look at the history of all three Abrahamic faiths. Full of great and useful information, this book takes a great and objective look at the rise of fundamentalism in all three faiths. Armstrong does a great job describing "mythos" and "logos" in a way that brings all kinds of relevance to the historical conversation. Some of the other reviews seem to be highly critical of her use of the terms, but it seems as if those are holding the terms too tightly (ironically enough, from a v...more

1 like · like · see review

Oct 06, 2012 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Armstrong's book was published the year before 9/11. I picked it up off my shelf that week, so that it might explain something to me.

Her point is that fundamentalism is a post-modern movement, with unifying commonality to the big three. Her points are persuasive. It is hard to understand fundamentalism for some of us who have passed our brains through Einstein and are reaching for Hawking...and wonder when the fundamentalists will approach Newton. I thought Tammy Faye Bakker was simply an idiot...more Armstrong's book was published the year before 9/11. I picked it up off my shelf that week, so that it might explain something to me.

Her point is that fundamentalism is a post-modern movement, with unifying commonality to the big three. Her points are persuasive. It is hard to understand fundamentalism for some of us who have passed our brains through Einstein and are reaching for Hawking...and wonder when the fundamentalists will approach Newton. I thought Tammy Faye Bakker was simply an idiot, who was dangerous because other idiots listened to her. (Well. I still think she's an idiot.) Armstrong takes a compassionate eye and endeavors to point out that what we have here is a failure to understand that we are not simply speaking two different languages. Some of us are speaking and some of us are dancing to a drummer that the speaking people cannot hear. It's like speech and a duck quacking.

She describes logos and mythos as two parallel needs/modes/experiences of humanity. We in the West have in large part lost mythos...the experience of the transcendent, the divine. Or rather, the postmodern among us have found it in certain ways that make no sense to the ways in which the fundamentalists find it. To the West, religion is fine if you keep it in a certain box that doesn't interfere with the process of capitalism and democracy. To a fundamentalist, this is impossible.

So far, I've learned a few things about Islam and Judaism. I grew up through the overthrow of the shah of Iran, the subsequent hostage crisis of 1979 - 1980 and the assassination of Anwar Sadat. I didn't understand any of it....and I understand better now. I have never thought of Islam as "the bad guy", and I didn't get why people used it as an excuse to kill people. I understand better now. Armstrong makes the case of why most Islamic states (excluding Turkey and Jordan) didn't seem to go through our critical industrialization and modernity (academic definition). So here we are, a postmodern state, and many Islamic states strike us as schizophrenic. Because they are.

Further, people in Islamic countries that are angry at us have good reason. Or, at least, they have good reason to be angry at Eisenhower and Carter. We have a long history of propping up bad states and turning a blind eye to humanitarian concerns so that we can get cheap oil. There is nothing Islamic about flying an airplane into a building of innocent people. There is nothing fair, democratic, or liberty-promoting about getting cheap oil from a dictator who oppresses his people.

The Arab Spring is politically as much of a watershed as Mao's Cultural Revolution or the Solidarity movement in Poland. We need to encourage it, and the way to do so might be (depending on the country) to get our fat fingers out of Arabian business. It might be to send aid to Syrian citizens, or to work with other NATO countries to keep the Syrian people from being exterminated.

We in the enlightened West think that education is ultimately going to help us communicate. I think that will help. But we may find that the Egyptians (if allowed) build a state that does not look like us or France or the UK. Part of communicating is listening, something we are not doing very well yet.

I learned more about Judaism, too. The Jews have a lengthy history of being an oppressed people, for reasons that baffle me. It's difficult to imagine why anti-Semitism has ever existed....and why it has been so virulent. I am glad that the Israelis have a home. However....

The modern state of Israel is run by Jewish hard-line conservatives. It appears that some Jews in Israel have taken a history of oppression and decided to piss on the Muslims. The settlements in West Bank and Gaza are patently illegal. Period. Islamic states are right to be furious with us for being buddy-buddy with a gangster state. Period. Why we don't pressure Israel harder to stop their illegal activities and slaughter of Muslims is mystifying.

Armstrong also discusses Christian extremism. I read her words, and it helps me to understand *why* some Christians deny facts in front of them. Sort of. It's a stretch for me. In the past few decades, I have felt that the Christian right is an insidious presence of increasing anti-intellectualism that threatens to put their religion all over my civil rights, they scare me. And they don't listen to reason. That's the point. They hate reason. All they hear is a book written in 100 - 200 AD, by a buncha Jewish guys hiding from the Romans. They see this book as the Word Of God, not as a spiritual revelation by a few dudes whose attitudes were colored by their time, race, gender, sense of "nationality", Jewishness. No context. Context is for postmoderns.

I am in the last chapters of Armstrong's book....I hope she gives me some ideas on how communication is possible with fundamentalists. It behooves us to do so, so that some of them stop flying into tall buildings, exterminating their neighbors by simply building a house on their land and then shooting with big American guns them when they object, or enacting laws to take away the rights of anybody who disagrees with them.

Because if we (being the postmodern, democratic, liberal (academic definition, not Ann Coulter's), scientific people) can't figure out how to come to the table with fundamentalists....and they don't burn out from the inside of their movements....we're going to see more stupid violence. Stupid violence is un-Islamic, un-Jewish, and un-Christian. But somehow, we have to deal with these movements in a productive way.(less)

like · see review

Jan 10, 2009 Larry rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This seminal book by Karen Armstrong my be her best work and is number 8 on my most influential list. Her deeply researched and wonderfully insightful book reviews a thousand years of religious fundamentalism in three faiths, Christainity, Judaism and Islam. The parallels and commonality of the "true believers" is frightening but, as she points out,is a result of our nature and need to beleive. The non-believers not only become the enemy but the mortal enemy who, if left unchallenged, will exter...more

3 likes · like · see review

Jul 10, 2010 Michael Denslow rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Fundamentalists and Secularists

The Battle for God is a concise, readable summary of the rise of fundamentalism in three major world religions - Judaism, Christianity, and Islam - over the past 500+ years. Karen Armstrong doesn't seem to be setting out to break any new ground here (though I admittedly haven't read a TON of books on the subject so I could be wrong.) The book is a pretty good intro to the subject.

Fundamentalists catch a lot of flack in intellectual circles, often deservedly so; over the past few decades we've se...more

like · see review

Jun 01, 2007 Jessica Gould rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Karen Armstrong is a great writer. Here she provides insight into the conditions that have fostered the emergence of fundamentalism in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. It's a great way to learn a little bit about the history of and current issues affecting all three religions. The narrative voice is very straightforward and direct without being overbearring.

1 like · like · see review

Jan 22, 2011 Sean rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"The Battle for God" by Karen Armstrong is one of those rare books that blissfully drowns the reader in facts towards wider truths about the diversities and similarities of religions. Karen Armstrong, perhaps one of the more prolific non-academic, non-sectarian writers alive today, has constructed a taught, well written book examining the origins and development of fundamentalism against the backdrop of the interaction between modernity and religion. Very informative and will help one fill gaps...more

like · see review

May 28, 2007 Beth Barnett rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Another excellent and eye-opening book by Armstrong. She discusses the impact of scientific and enlightenment philosophies that have moved away from or completely rejected traditional religions, and the growth of fundamentalist movements as a modern reaction to the increasingly secular world. Fascinating to read, even for the nonreligious.

1 like · like · see review

Jan 20, 2010 itpdx rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: lwv-book-group, non-fiction

This is an interesting topic and an interesting history of fundamentalism in the three monotheistic major religions. It was written before 9/11 and in my edition includes a short prologue written a few months after. The book took quite a bit of effort to read and I am not sure why. I am not sure that I agree with Armstrong on all her assertions. She divides people's thinking in the pre-industrial age into mythos and logos. She defines mythos as how we explained where the world came from, and why...more

like · see review

Apr 04, 2013 Magdelanye rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: everybody

Shelves: culture-conflict, creative-process, displacement, language-thought-reality, mythological-history, social-commentary

The Battle for God is a monumental work that fills in many of the gaps in our modern,streamlined educational system,because it is a heroic attempt to articulate all sides of the conflict between spiritual impulse and reason,tradition and progress. This approach allows Armstrong to delve far deeper than the dry 'facts' which are pretty much all I was given, so that she manages to acheive a much broader perspective than the usual polemical or reductionist style.

Beginning in the pivotal year 1492,...more The Battle for God is a monumental work that fills in many of the gaps in our modern,streamlined educational system,because it is a heroic attempt to articulate all sides of the conflict between spiritual impulse and reason,tradition and progress. This approach allows Armstrong to delve far deeper than the dry 'facts' which are pretty much all I was given, so that she manages to acheive a much broader perspective than the usual polemical or reductionist style.

Beginning in the pivotal year 1492, Armstrong traces the various threads that unravelled from that peak year in the history of the 3 great monotheisms,to give us a better insight into the nature of fundamentalism and its alarming manifestations in our secular world. Personally, I wish she would have started earlier,quite a bit earlier,but I can appreciate the nightmare of reasearch and editing the overwhelming amount of material surrounding the topic. Still. I would have liked to know more about the golden age of Al-Andulus when all 3 variations of monotheism flourished together,in an unprecedented and never again acheived harmony.

In fact, this book awakened in me a ferocious passion to find out more about everything that Armstrong so deftly skims over to give us this remarkable overview.That in itself is a major acheivement.

It occurs to me that conventional education consists of a merry-go-round approach,with a fixed point of view and a limited scope. Armstrong takes us on a roller coaster ride,soaring above the horizon,dipping deep,then rising again to to glimpse unforseen connections with the larger surround. Surely it's unreasonable of me to be left wanting more,such as a roller coaster that moved in slo-mo?

This is not a real criticism of the book,more like the opposite,but it seems to me that equally thick books could be written about almost every single paragraph in this one. Armstrong has given us a vivid and important work,condensing a formidable amount of material without trivializing or patronizing. If at times I was left feeling dizzy, or that crucial facts were being glossed over, surely its up to me, the reader to search out additional details, the backstory of the backstories she so deftly outlines.

So why only 4 stars?

Perhaps because of the inadaquacy of the rating system,perhaps more because of my own personal bias,perhaps I need to read it again. And perhaps I am wrong, but sometimes,it seemed to me, her impartiality slips, and I detected in her a maddening tendency to accept the premise that modernity is progress,is inevitable, and that those of us who remain skeptical of its intrinsic value are hopelessly clinging to an unworkable program.

Certainly she smashes some of our most pervasive stereotypes,but I was disturbed by the few she retains,mainly, the portrait of the dim witted peasant,attached to an anscestral piece of land,without the so called benefits of modern technology, which,we are seeing, have often been ultimately harmful,resulting in a toxic,depleted environment. When she scoffs a bit at the unsophistication of of traditional ways, I wonder about the value of sophistication that is so out of harmony with the seasons and so incongruent with the cosmic rhythms that it seems acceptable to need a pill to wake up in the morning and a pill to go to sleep.

Even more disturbing to me is her assumption that ultimately,we all need to "get with the program". I found no place for myself in any of her catagorizations, for though,like the traditionalists she depicts I detest the hypocracy underlying much of what is seen as expediant and acceptable and modern,and refuse to jump on the latest bandwagon,I am no fundamentalist reactionary. Indeed, I am more of a pagan than a true believer,prefering to celebrate diversity rather than striving for unity.In any repressive regime,likely I'd be a cantidate for the stake.
But I do believe it's a mistake to separate the sacred from the mundane,for I believe it allows the unscrupulous few to take advantage of the majority of us idealists and dreamers who would rather live peacefully and creatively free of the rules and restrictions that set such artificial boundaries which we are required to observe.(less)

5 likes · like · see review

Mar 18, 2012 Pranada Comtois rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Armstrong is not only a scholar and superb writer, but her own spiritual background makes her explorations about the history of God and religion important contributions. I love her books, including her memoirs. But I continue to be dismayed that she states the world has only three monotheisms, when there are four. I'm unclear how Western religious scholars continue to omit Bhakti, or Vaishnavism, which is older than the Western monotheisms, and has more followers than Buddhism.

I wrote Ms. Armstr...more

like · see review

Jun 25, 2010 Nathan rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sociology, history, franklin-library

Broad but shallow. Armstrong defines fundamentalism as a reactionary trend in response to social or political change that seeks to reestablish and preserve an original order, and then presents modern examples of the religious type. The usual suspects are covered, from Khomeini to Falwell, with sound but repetitive and unoriginal information. Most of this has already been covered; indeed, other books have moved beyond merely diagnosing the issue to working toward a corrective. Placing the various...more

like · see review

Dec 29, 2008 Russell rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is one of the best books on religion I've ever read. Armstrong is insightful, respectful, and articulate. She really changed my view of religious fundamentalism in many respects. I highly recommend this book.

1 like · like · see review

Sep 01, 2012 Bruce rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: theology

KA as usual has thoroughly researched her subject and speaks with great authority on the subject of fundamentalism in the 3 major faiths. She differentiates between 'logos' ... the analytical conceptual aspect of religion and 'mythos' ... the intuitive aspect. Because these have been confused and out of balance and dis-integrated within the 3 faiths in their own individual ways there has been conflict within and between them. The book helped me to realise the part that western rationalism, contr...more

like · see review

Jan 04, 2012 E. C. Totman is currently reading it · review of another edition

Currently reading and too early to write a review but Armstrong is giving me a new appreciation of the Jewish and Islamic stories. The Jewish nation though scattered and viciously abused for most of history never lost sight of their identity. Jews are the only scattered people who can claim such tenacity. Islamics, on the other side of a religious divide from Christianity, are poorly understood by most westerners. I continue my enthusiastic study of "Battle" to learn the value of the mythos of a...more

like · see review

Feb 05, 2011 Allan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: nonfiction

While not the easiest of reads, this is a thorough review of the rise of fundamentalism in the three major Abrahamic religions - Judaism, Islam and Christianity - with history and explanations of why its happening world-wide and what's to be done about it. Be prepared to slog through some technical explanations about the differences between various sects and their beliefs, but also to finish this book with a much better understanding of what's driving the religious fanaticism in the world and wh...more

like · see review

Apr 11, 2013 Ian rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

So insistent on recycling phrases of her own coinage she can be said to make her own clichés. One in particular ("...helped [']men and women['] make sense of their world...") is supes troubling because of its patriarchy and reactionary-dynamic-of-religion erasure etc. Oh well.

Also the afterword is disappointing but maybe only because I was expecting some sort of "Politics of Anti-Fundamentalism" or something, which most definitely was not the case.

"Bottom line": A richly detailed study that, in...more

like · see review

Apr 07, 2013 Dalia added it · review of another edition

Karen Armstrong isn't the only one to look at fundamentalism, but she does so in a way that others haven't. Not only does she go into the necessary dates and history, but really takes pains to go into the feel, passion of each fundamentalist movement in Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

At some point it gets too cumbersome and verbose and this thick book became something I knew I wanted to read merely for the understanding and knowledge, but not because it flowed, and nor did I look forward to re...more

like · see review

Jul 23, 2009 Kevin rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: politics, atheism-and-theism

A detailed historical look at the development of fundamentalism in the three largest monotheistic religions, ending circa 1999. A major thesis throughout the book is the impact of industrial secular culture on the older agrarian religious world views, which then struggle both against the secular "invaders" as well as against co-religionists seen as contributing to the annihilation of the "true faith". Lastly, Armstrong repeatedly returns to the question of whether and how both intuitive and rati...more

like · see review

May 25, 2010 Joseph Young rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: anyone interested in religion or politics.

Definitely the best book I have read since "Made to Stick". A quite informative book about the evolution of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Gives you a great global perspective on many of the political issues and power struggles, both nationally and internationally. The author gives what seems to be a fairly non-biased view, criticizing and critiquing the development of each religion equally.

Cons: Author's pronunciation of some words seem quite random. Perhaps they are British English, but the...more

like · see review

Dec 28, 2008 Mike rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I purchased this book when I was in college and couldn't get into it, but decided to try again recently. Awesome book that details the fundamentalist movements in the monotheistic religions. Really nice how history and religion have intertwined in these particular instances. I am a product of Protestant fundamentalism and don't particularly agree with Armstrong's view of rage and hatred dominating my religious beliefs, but I have seen cases where that would ring true. I have shifted more towards...more

like · see review

title link	preview: The Battle for God: A History of Fundamentalism
avg rating	preview: The Battle for God: A History of Fundamentalism Goodreads rating: 3.92 (3004 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12455627-the-battle-for-god?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1360570117l/12455627.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12455627-the-battle-for-god?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Battle for God: A History of Fundamentalism by Karen Armstrong[/url]

The Battle for God: A History of Fundamentalism

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (13)

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Karen Armstrong

Books by Karen Armstrong

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About The Battle For Go...