A history of God

The idea of a single devine being - God, Yahweh, Allah - has existed for over 4,000 years. But the history of God is also the history of human struggle. While Judaism, Islam and Christianity proclaim the goodness of God, organised religion has too often been the catalyst for violence and ineradicable prejudice. In this fascinating, extensive and original account of the evolution of belief, Karen Armstrong examines Western society's unerring fidelity to this idea of One God and the many conflicting convictions it engenders. A controversial, extraordinary story of worship and war, A History of God confronts the most fundamental fact - or fiction - of our lives. Karen Armstrong, an English ex-nun, is a very readable and generally reliable writer on religion. This book outlines the development of the three great monotheist religions. Her The Battle for God, which tries to explain the growth of 'fundamentalism' throughout the world, and Islam: a Short History are also worth reading.