The Battle for God - Book Review

The Battle for God. By Karen Armstrong. Ballantine Books, 2001. 464 pages. Paper. $15.00.

In the aftermath of September 11, 2001, as people struggle with understanding the causes, impact, and implications of terrorism, Karen Armstrong's book The Battle for God is both timely and relevant. She traces the causes of religious fundamentalism in Islam, particularly in Egypt and Iran, Judaism, particularly in Israel, and Christianity, particularly within the Protestant traditions in the United Sates. Armstrong shows the reader the parallel development of fundamentalism within the three religions and how these movements affected one another historically and currently.

Armstrong develops the argument that religious fundamentalism can be seen partly as a reaction against the liberal political, economic, and religious ideologies of the modern state and partly as a vision for its adherents that gives meaning and constancy to their lives in a world that is changing. Her commanding use of historical information in supporting these broad and overarching themes is impressive and, at times, a bit daunting. Armstrong distinguishes the patterns within these histories by identifying the poles of myth and reason, the masses and the elite, and the past and the future in which religious thought and expression are given sway. The "who" and "how" questions of religious authority are also examined in light of the complex and often contradictory religious goals of the fundamentalist movements.

Although it is hard to nuance history in such a brief overview, I would nevertheless recommend this book for its broad and balanced picture of the roots, patterns, and trends of the fundamentalist movement within the three religions, particularly as they are laid out in a parallel fashion. It allows the reader to clearly see that the ground of extreme beliefs and practices within different traditions produces results that can look identical. Fundamentalist movements, like all movements, contain the seeds of creativity and faithfulness as well as the seeds of destruction and fear. This is a book that lets us look at both.

COPYRIGHT 2002 Lutheran School of Theology and Mission
COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group