By Atiq Raja
In a world too often divided by faith, Karen Armstrong’s A History of God emerges as a rare and vital bridge, drawing thoughtful connections across Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. First published in 1993, the book is far more than a theological treatise; it is a sweeping historical exploration of humanity’s evolving understanding of the divine over the past four millennia. Armstrong does not concern herself with proving or disproving God’s existence. Instead, she asks a question far subtler, far more enduring: how has the idea of God changed as civilizations, cultures, and human consciousness itself have changed? The narrative begins in the ancient Near East, with the Israelites. Armstrong shows that early Hebrew religion did not envision God as the universal, all-encompassing deity familiar to later generations.
Rather, God was initially understood as a tribal figure, intimately bound to the fate of one people. This God was not abstract or universal but a being whose presence was entwined with the land, the community, and its collective destiny. Over centuries, particularly through the upheavals of exile and conquest, this conception evolved. Ethical monotheism emerged: a vision of a single, moral God concerned not only with the chosen people but with justice, righteousness, and ethical conduct. Historical crises—most notably the destruction of Jerusalem and the Babylonian exile—forced believers to reconsider the nature of divine power and presence. Armstrong’s account captures the subtle but profound ways that suffering, displacement, and political turmoil shape human notions of the sacred.
Christianity, emerging from the Jewish tradition, introduced another layer of complexity. The doctrine of the Trinity, debates about Christ’s nature, and the assimilation of Greek philosophical thought into theological discourse transformed the divine image. Armstrong carefully explains how thinkers such as Augustine and Thomas Aquinas attempted to reconcile faith with reason. God was no longer solely the personal deity of scripture; the divine also became the philosophical Absolute, a concept abstract enough to be examined by the mind, yet deeply embedded in human moral and spiritual life. Christianity, in this telling, did not merely inherit Jewish ideas—it reshaped them, marrying ethical monotheism with metaphysical speculation.
Islam, Armstrong argues, is not an appendage to this story but a continuation of Abrahamic monotheism, refining and reinforcing earlier insights. The Qur’anic insistence on the oneness of God, or Tawhid, represents a sophisticated theological stance that emphasises unity, simplicity, and moral accountability. Islamic philosophers and mystics, from Al-Ghazali to Ibn Sina, engaged deeply with reason and spirituality alike, demonstrating that faith and intellect need not be at odds. In the golden age of Islamic civilisation, Armstrong observes, theology and philosophy advanced hand in hand, producing a vision of God that was intellectually rigorous yet profoundly human. Here, too, the divine is not static—it is shaped by the questions, doubts, and hopes of the age.
The modern period presents a different challenge. As Europe entered the Enlightenment, the rise of rationalism and scientific inquiry questioned long-established theological frameworks. The God of medieval certainty became a figure of skepticism, and in some quarters, of outright atheism. Armstrong notes that much contemporary criticism of God often targets a narrow, literal interpretation, overlooking centuries in which the divine was understood symbolically, poetically, and morally. She argues that human imagination has historically been as important to understanding God as logic, doctrine, or ritual. Theology, in this sense, is less a set of fixed answers than a living conversation across generations.
Armstrong’s historical sweep makes it clear that God, in all Abrahamic traditions, is ultimately a mirror reflecting humanity’s fears, hopes, and yearnings for transcendence. The relevance of A History of God is particularly striking today, in a world in which religion is too often weaponised and secularism is sometimes dismissive. Armstrong offers a corrective to this polarization. She urges humility, empathy, and historical awareness. Misunderstanding, she shows, often arises from forgetting the long arc of human religious experience. By tracing the evolution of the divine, she invites readers to see the common roots underlying traditions that appear intractably opposed. This is not a call for syncretism or superficial compromise; it is a call to recognise the shared human impulses behind belief.
(The writer is a rights activist and CEO of AR Trainings and Consultancy, with degrees in Political Science and English Literature, can be reached at editorial@metro-morning.com)
