THE BATTLE FOR GOD

Religious fundamentalism has been a force through much of monotheistic history and has not been confined to Christianity. These are the main points of Karen Armstrong's latest work. Armstrong's reading style makes you wish you had had her for your college history courses. Her voice is clear, and she defines terms clearly and at the appropriate times. Fundamentalism, or militant piety, as she calls it in the opening chapter, is an unreasoned reaction to what fundamentalists see as secular modernity usurping their religious heritage. It has happened many times in Judaism, Christianity and Islam. She examines each at several points in history. Another of her works, A HISTORY OF GOD: The 4,000-Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, is equally interesting but a little harder to follow on tape because of its detailed historical references. R.C.G. © AudioFile 2000, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/NOV 00]