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The
Battle For God
Karen Armstrong's discussion of fundamentalist
movements within Christianity, Judaism and Islam pre-dates the Sept 11 terrorist
attacks. But those who seek an understanding of the causes of that tragedy will
find much in this book to commend it. One of Armstrong's most telling points is
that Christian fundamentalists have much in common with extremists within both
Islam and Judaism.
From the publisher ...
ABOUT THIS BOOK In
our supposedly secular age governed by reason and technology, fundamentalism has
emerged as an overwhelming force in every major world religion. Why? This is the
fascinating, disturbing question that bestselling author Karen Armstrong addresses
in her brilliant new book The Battle for God. Writing with the broad perspective
and deep understanding of human spirituality that won huge audiences for A History
of God, Armstrong illuminates the spread of militant piety as a phenomenon peculiar
to our moment in history. Contrary to popular belief, fundamentalism is
not a throwback to some ancient form of religion but rather a response to the
spiritual crisis of the modern world. As Armstrong argues, the collapse of a piety
rooted in myth and cult during the Renaissance forced people of faith to grasp
for new ways of being religious--and fundamentalism was born. Armstrong focuses
here on three fundamentalist movements: Protestant fundamentalism in America,
Jewish fundamentalism in Israel, and Islamic fundamentalism in Egypt and Iran--exploring
how each has developed its own unique way of combating the assaults of modernity. Blending
history, sociology, and spirituality, The Battle for God is a compelling and compassionate
study of a radical form of religious expression that is critically shaping the
course of world history. QUOTES "One of the most penetrating,
readable, and prescient accounts to date of the rise of the fundamentalist movements
in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam."
--The New York Times Book Review "EXCELLENT
. . . HIGHLY INTELLIGENT AND HIGHLY READABLE . . . This is a book that will prove
indispensable . . . for anyone who seeks insight into how these powerful movements
affect global politics and society today and into the future."
--The Baltimore
Sun "ARMSTRONG SUCCEEDS BRILLIANTLY . . . With her astonishing depth
of knowledge and readily accessible writing style, [she] makes an ideal guide
in traversing a subject that is by its very nature complex, sensitive and frequently
ambiguous."
--The San Francisco Examiner and Chronicle "A USEFUL
AND REWARDING BOOK."
--The Boston Globe AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY Karen
Armstrong is one of the foremost commentators on religious affairs in both Britain
and the United States. She spent seven years as a Roman Catholic nun, took a degree
at Oxford University, teaches at Leo Baeck College for the Study of Judaism, and
received the 1999 Muslim Public Affairs Council Media Award. Her previous books
include the best-selling A History of God: The 4000-Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity,
and Islam; Jerusalem: One City, Three Faiths; and In the Beginning: A New Interpretation
of Genesis. | 
