It is a phenomenal account on the history of the conception of the
idea of God and the birth of monotheism, in context of three main
religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
The book starts with the pre-Abrahamic time and the development of
the concept of God.
The detailed treatment of Judaic scriptures and the development or
refinement of the concept of God, especially during the trying
times of Jewish Diaspora and persecutions is interesting to read.
She lays out a concept of monotheism as being developed adaptively,
i.e. refined and explained as per the need of time. I particularly
liked the way in which she logically hypothesized the effects of
the events of the time that influenced the mood/temperament of
Judaic writings (though I am not sure if a more 'devout' believer
will necessarily agree to her hypothesis of a more adaptive concept
of God developed by early Jewish sages; the concept which could be
molded to suit the spiritual demand of the time).
Her treatment of Christianity is very detailed. Her thesis on the
effects of Roman/Greek mythologies on its theology is filled with
overwhelming details, which literally open many new avenues of
research for a casual reader of history of religion in general and
Christianity in particular. The treatment of Gnostics and papal
institutions is academically rigorous and interesting to read.
Her treatment of Islam is thorough. The way she explains the
concept of monotheism in Islam as the extension/refinement of
Judeo-Christian concept and the effects of indigenous Sufi and
mystic movements in Islam is interesting. I disagreed with her at
few points in her treatment of the theological concepts of Shia
Islam. She generalized the theological concepts of Ismailia branch
of Shias and applied it to the mainstream Twelvers, which at many
points is questionable in its accuracy.
She does touch the Enlightenment and later religious movements,
including the more recent trends in religion.
Her treatment of this topic might not be one hundred percent
accurate in all respects, but for the people interested in the
history of religion, it is a great read. Like all other works by
Karen Armstrong, every page of this book depicts the width and
depth of Ms. Armstrong's extensive study, which is overwhelming.
The lubricity of her expression, depth of her knowledge and decent
grasp over the topic of history and development of the three
Abrahamic religions makes her book very unique.