Summary of the Book
In the beginning, there was nothing. Man looked to the heavens for answers, and he began to wonder if there was someone there, someone more powerful than he could fathom. There obviously had to be an Almighty God who had created everything from nothing, and this sparked off a religion that would change the world. This religion, which evolved in the Middle East, in the cradle of what would be called Canaan, was destined to rattle the world. Largely polytheistic in nature at the time, the world began to be smitten with the view that there was one all-powerful God. This religion began to branch out, following different yet similar doctrines after the new age, with the birth of a man who would be tied together with it forever: Jesus of Nazareth, the prophesied Messiah. In time, another man would branch it out once again, into a powerful religion which would spread like a brush fire throughout the world: Islam. Together, Judaism, Christianity and Islam have survived a history almost 4000 years old. Despite their inherent differences, and the opposing viewpoints of their spokesmen, these religions have arisen from one central religion, and preach of one God: with three names, Yahweh, God or Allah.
About Karen Armstrong
Karen Armstrong is a British comparative religion writer and commentator. She has also written Muhammad: A Biography of the Prophet, Muhammad: A Prophet For Our Time, The Case for God and The Bible: A Biography.
A graduate of St Anne’s College, Oxford, Armstrong won the $100,000 TED Prize in February 2008, using the money to call for the creation of a Charter for Compassion.
