After 6 months, I finally finished reading this book. I finished last night before I knocked off for bed. 6 months for my standard is very unusual considering it usually takes me less than 3 months to finish a book as thick as this one. No, it is not because this book was not a good read but due mainly to the fact that I lack the relevant knowledge on such a topic. I am certainly no clergyman and do not think I am under the category of a God fearing person. Personally I believe there is a God who is constantly around us. I constantly seek knowledge on this elusive topic because I think there is much for us to understand about God. Who, where, how, to answers these questions. Out there in the world there are many religions, beliefs and faiths all centered on one Almight Being - God. Ironically, there is no one person that can clearly tell or explain this God, and this one God of all these faiths may have stemmed from the same starting point. After all, a close study will point out that the Middle Eaest does seem to be obvious starting point where it all began.
Now that I have finished the book, I have come to realise that there is so, so, so much more to look out for and that what I currently know now is merely the tip of the iceberg. Not to mention, I am was very much misinformed about this subject altogether.
This book starts by exploring the nature of God - is it a one God, does God exist in Threeness? Or does God exist in an infinitude quantum? This book clearly opens the window to the many different ideas, views and opinions of different sects dating way back in history as early as the sixth century BCE. Before I go on further, for those who depend on the unshakeableness of their beliefs may find this book upsetting, disturbing or worse you may now realise you might have been believing in something without due inquiry.
In a nutshell, this book is very much a book of thelogical history. Armstrong narrates from how humans first began to worship the Sky God to Earth Mother to polytheism (i.e. the belief in more than one God) and then to Abraham's faith in one God (i.e. monotheism).
In her book, Armstrong also explores "Documentary Hypothesis" of the Pentateuch stemming from the sources of J, E, P and D. Truth be told - I have no idea what is it, and I am still reading up on this topic to gain a better insight.
Until the point where monotheism became the predominant belief, Armstrong then narrates on the global paradigm shifts in monotheism. You'd be surprise how it has changed to become our God today. It starts with the Judaism belief in Yahweh and the priestly temple-centric regime which insists that the temple is the ultimate dwelling place for God on earth, having chosen Israel. Then came John the Baptist and the ministry of Jesus - the well known God in Trinity. Then, about the year 610 an Arab merchant bearing the name Muhammad ibn Abdallah receives an epiphany and brings forth the advent of Islam, a faith that was unity centric during the trying times when civil clashes were common in the Arab region.
As society became more informed and learned, God became a focus of studies and in depth scrutiny evolving God into a God of the Philosophers attracting the likes of Socrates, Archimedes and Aristotle to name a few. The evolution did not stop there, and slowly God evolved into a God of Mystics whereby mythology reasserted itself as the chief vehicle of religious experience.
Towards the 15th and 16th centuries, God became a God for reformers with the advent of the Renaissance period. Renaissance was the period that gave birth to thinkers and faith was an important factor in lives of the people during that time. People were becoming vocal and were dissatisfied with the medieval forms of religion and faith that could no longer meet the demands of current generation. This period was very much a clash of intellectuality, which saw the split between Catholic and Protestant camps. In addition, this was also the period where Islam splitted to several sects.
Then comes the era of enlightment, a period when, and I quote from the book "there was new optimism about humanity as control over the natural world, which had once held mankind in thrall, appeared to advance in leaps and bounds. People began to believe that better education and improved laws could bring light to the human spirit. This new confidence in the natural power of human beings meant that people came to believe that they could achieve enlightment by means of their own exertions.".
Towards the end of the book, Armstrong then puts forth a discussion on how our society has evolved given our advancement in technology, knowledege, anthropology, and puts forth a chapter which in short asks - Does God have a future?
All in all, from a knowledge acquiring point of view, this is indeed a good book for readers who like history like myself. I must admit, having finished this book there are more questions marks running through my brain. I should be doing more book purchases soon given the long list of suggested further reading at the end of this book.
Comments
Post a Comment