Product Description

The Bible is the most widely distributed book in the world. Translated into over two thousand languages, it is estimated that more than six billion copies have been sold in the last two hundred years alone. In this seminal account, Karen Armstrong traces the gestation of the Bible to reveal a complex and contradictory document created by scores of people over hundreds of years.Karen Armstrong begins her analysis with the origins of the very earliest books of the "Hebrew Bible", in which God was called both 'Yahweh' and 'Elohim'. She then traces the development of both the "Hebrew Bible" and the "New Testament" to reveal the disparate influences that helped to form these sacred texts. From the Jewish practice of Midrash and the Christian cult of Jesus; to the influence of Paul's letters on the Reformation and the manipulation of Revelations by Christian fundamentalism, Armstrong explores the contexts in which these sixty-six books were understood and explains the social needs they answered. In the process she reveals an unfamiliar and paradoxical work that will permanently alter our understanding of the Bible.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #11672 in Books
• Published on: 2008-03-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

Review
"'The best sort of popularizing: there is no sacrifice of integrity and no dumbing down.' Edward Norman, Literary Review 'A remarkable history... fascinating and highly readable... profoundly relevant.' Julie Wheelwright, Independent 'This book deserves nothing but praise.' Bryan Appleyard, Sunday Times"

About the Author
Karen Armstrong is one of the world's foremost commentators on religious affairs. Her bestselling books include Islam: A Short History; Buddha; A History of God; Through the Narrow Gate; The Spiral Staircase and The Great Transformation, also published in paperback by Atlantic Books in 2007.

Customer Reviews

A New Perspective on the Bible
This book provides an overview of the story of the Bible, not the text itself, but how it was written, how the canon was selected and how it has been interpreted and used over the centuries. Spanning the millennia from the writing to the present, it gives a view of the place of the Bible in the world that is often missing when reading about a particular book or thene of the Scriptures.

Author Karen Armstrong introduces, or reminds, the reader, about the sources of the Old and New Testament, the multiple authors of Isaiah and the way the Bible shaped the Jewish self-image. As it progresses, she cites comments by many writers, Christian and Jewish, including Sts. Augustine and Jerome, Martin Luther and many others.

I have read a fair amount about the Bible (see my Listmania, "Thinking of God") but I learned things I had not previously known. From my perspective, telling the story in a continuum is the most helpful aspect of this book. For one who has studied the Bible less deeply, it will provide a good introduction.

profound contribution to our shared culture
I am not usually lost for words, to say the least. But I am struck alternately dumb and gibbering by this beautiful, beautiful book. Surpassing even Frances Yates in consummate scholarship, spanning millennia of allegory and exegesis Armstrong stands alone in her total mastery of the religious understanding which beats in the heart of all cultures. Here in following "the Bible" through four millennia of conflict and resolution she presents in the clearest possible narrative (aided by comprehensive glossary, footnotes and bibliography) how Logos and Love are inseparable in theology and praxis and how the greatest treasure of Western philosophy remains The Golden Rule.

I am neither Jewish nor Christian ( our family is half Rasta, half Muslim) but for me this is simply the most important book our century has produced. A book of immense transformative power: buy it, read it, share it around.

An Essential Guide to the Evolution of the Bible
This is a fantastic book and I would heartily recommend it to anyone who wonders what the Bible is all about. It clearly traces the history of the Bible and shows how it has been a living document - written, rewritten, edited and translated to suit the needs of different societies through the ages. As a starting point for understanding what the Bible means to the world today this cannot be bettered.