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Hazel (1853 KP) rated God: A Human History in Books
Dec 7, 2018
<i>I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
</i>
Where did religion come from? This is the question Reza Aslan, a scholar of religions, attempts to answer in his latest publication, <i>God: A Human History.</i> To date, Aslan has tackled subjects such as the life of Jesus of Nazareth, and the origins, evolution and future of Islam. In this book, the author journeys back to the earliest evidence of human existence and, using a mix of resources, theories and investigations, tries to determine how our ancestors conceived the idea of gods and souls. Maintaining the idea that the majority of humans think of God as a divine version of ourselves, Aslan also looks at the way our perception of life after death has altered due to the changes in our governments and cultures.
Reza Aslan claims that he, a Muslim-devout-Christian-convert-turned-Sufi, is neither trying to prove or disprove the existence of God or gods. Instead, he is providing readers with a thorough history of religion with a strong suggestion that we, as believers, have fashioned God in our image, and not the other way around.
Insisting that belief systems are inherited from each previous generation, Aslan takes a look at ancient cave drawings where he, and many other theorists, surmise that a form of religion was already well underway. Lack of written word results in a lot of speculation and hypothesis as to what these, usually animal-like, drawings represent, however, many have come to the conclusion that early humans had some form of animistic belief system.
Although not a dig at religion, after all, the author is religious himself, the following chapters bring in to question the authenticity of past and present beliefs. With reference to various psychologists, Aslan poses the theory that ancient humans may have misinterpreted dreams as evidence of a spirit realm. With no one qualified to clarify the things they did not understand, anything without a clear explanation may have been attributed to a god or gods.
As the author describes how religious ideas may have developed from these primitive beliefs to the fully detailed faiths of today, he labels the human race as anthropocentric creatures that have based their religions on human traits and emotions. By reporting in this way, it comes across that the past ideas of the soul, spiritual realms, gods and so forth could not possibly be true, yet, as the final chapters suggest, Aslan is still adamant about the existence of God.
Aslan’s narrative speeds up, finally reaching the recognizable religions of today. Beginning with the Israelites, enslaved by the Egyptians, the author explains, using biblical references, how the first successful monotheistic religion came about. However, researchers have studied the early Bible texts and are inconclusive as to whether the God worshipped by the Jews was the only divine being or whether there were others of a similar standing.
Next, Aslan explores Christianity, posing more questions than he solves, for example, is God one or is God three (i.e. the Holy Trinity)? He defines and compares the definitions of monotheism and pantheism, eventually bringing in Islam and the development of Sufism, which he is not afraid of admitting he agrees with.
<i>God: A Human History </i>is disappointingly short, ending with the feeble conclusion that humans are born with the ability to be convinced of the existence of a divine being and the soul, but it is our own choice to decide whether or not to believe in them. The remaining third of the book is an abundance of notes on the texts, bibliographical references, and Reza Aslan’s personal opinions about the ideas and theories mentioned in his history of religion.
Although an extensive history on the origins of religion, <i>God: A Human History </i>leaves readers none the wiser as to whether their belief is founded in truth or whether it is something that has evolved over time due to lack of understanding about the world. Granted, it was not the aim of the book to prove or disprove the existence of God, however, it may unintentionally sow seeds of doubt or, potentially, anger devout believers. However, there is no attempt at persuading readers to believe one thing or another, thus making it suitable for people of all religion and none.
</i>
Where did religion come from? This is the question Reza Aslan, a scholar of religions, attempts to answer in his latest publication, <i>God: A Human History.</i> To date, Aslan has tackled subjects such as the life of Jesus of Nazareth, and the origins, evolution and future of Islam. In this book, the author journeys back to the earliest evidence of human existence and, using a mix of resources, theories and investigations, tries to determine how our ancestors conceived the idea of gods and souls. Maintaining the idea that the majority of humans think of God as a divine version of ourselves, Aslan also looks at the way our perception of life after death has altered due to the changes in our governments and cultures.
Reza Aslan claims that he, a Muslim-devout-Christian-convert-turned-Sufi, is neither trying to prove or disprove the existence of God or gods. Instead, he is providing readers with a thorough history of religion with a strong suggestion that we, as believers, have fashioned God in our image, and not the other way around.
Insisting that belief systems are inherited from each previous generation, Aslan takes a look at ancient cave drawings where he, and many other theorists, surmise that a form of religion was already well underway. Lack of written word results in a lot of speculation and hypothesis as to what these, usually animal-like, drawings represent, however, many have come to the conclusion that early humans had some form of animistic belief system.
Although not a dig at religion, after all, the author is religious himself, the following chapters bring in to question the authenticity of past and present beliefs. With reference to various psychologists, Aslan poses the theory that ancient humans may have misinterpreted dreams as evidence of a spirit realm. With no one qualified to clarify the things they did not understand, anything without a clear explanation may have been attributed to a god or gods.
As the author describes how religious ideas may have developed from these primitive beliefs to the fully detailed faiths of today, he labels the human race as anthropocentric creatures that have based their religions on human traits and emotions. By reporting in this way, it comes across that the past ideas of the soul, spiritual realms, gods and so forth could not possibly be true, yet, as the final chapters suggest, Aslan is still adamant about the existence of God.
Aslan’s narrative speeds up, finally reaching the recognizable religions of today. Beginning with the Israelites, enslaved by the Egyptians, the author explains, using biblical references, how the first successful monotheistic religion came about. However, researchers have studied the early Bible texts and are inconclusive as to whether the God worshipped by the Jews was the only divine being or whether there were others of a similar standing.
Next, Aslan explores Christianity, posing more questions than he solves, for example, is God one or is God three (i.e. the Holy Trinity)? He defines and compares the definitions of monotheism and pantheism, eventually bringing in Islam and the development of Sufism, which he is not afraid of admitting he agrees with.
<i>God: A Human History </i>is disappointingly short, ending with the feeble conclusion that humans are born with the ability to be convinced of the existence of a divine being and the soul, but it is our own choice to decide whether or not to believe in them. The remaining third of the book is an abundance of notes on the texts, bibliographical references, and Reza Aslan’s personal opinions about the ideas and theories mentioned in his history of religion.
Although an extensive history on the origins of religion, <i>God: A Human History </i>leaves readers none the wiser as to whether their belief is founded in truth or whether it is something that has evolved over time due to lack of understanding about the world. Granted, it was not the aim of the book to prove or disprove the existence of God, however, it may unintentionally sow seeds of doubt or, potentially, anger devout believers. However, there is no attempt at persuading readers to believe one thing or another, thus making it suitable for people of all religion and none.
Sea Breeze: Phantom Queen Book 8 - A Temple Verse Series (The Phantom Queen Diaries)
Shayne Silvers and Cameron O'Connell
9.0
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Remember when dead in the water was just an expression? Not anymore. Fresh from her unplanned...
The Scarlet Thread (Fated Destruction, #1)
8.0
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My name Kaidance Monroe, and sometimes when I touch people, I see how they die. After I saw my...
Alison Pink (7 KP) rated The Serpent's Shadow (Kane Chronicles #3) in Books
Jan 15, 2018
So sad to know that this is the last book in Rick Riordan's Kane Chronicles. This trilogy has been my favorite of all his works by far! I'm hoping he will work Sadie, Carter, & Walt/Anubis into another series as the end left it pretty open to be picked up into the future with new Gods & magic trying to disrupt the ancient Egyptian beliefs.
This book was great! It was a satisfying ending to the series, despite the fact that it did leave things open to being picked up in the future. (Maybe he'll do something like he did with Percy Jackson & then Heroes of Olympus?!?) Again Sadie & Carter are such likable, believable, well-developed characters. The things they go through are extraordinary without a doubt, but they are so easy to identify with...which I'm sure helps with the appeal of the series to younger readers. But just because that is the target audience, doesn't mean an adult won't enjoy it.
The book is full of history, love, battles, & courage that it is very easy to get wrapped up in.
This book was great! It was a satisfying ending to the series, despite the fact that it did leave things open to being picked up in the future. (Maybe he'll do something like he did with Percy Jackson & then Heroes of Olympus?!?) Again Sadie & Carter are such likable, believable, well-developed characters. The things they go through are extraordinary without a doubt, but they are so easy to identify with...which I'm sure helps with the appeal of the series to younger readers. But just because that is the target audience, doesn't mean an adult won't enjoy it.
The book is full of history, love, battles, & courage that it is very easy to get wrapped up in.
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated Circe in Books
Apr 26, 2018
Circe was my April Book of the Month club pick, and WOW was it epic. I haven't read Song of Achilles, but I just put a hold on it with my library, because this book was amazing. So amazing, in fact, that it sent me into a bit of a reading slump - what book could follow up this masterwork?
This is actually going to be a pretty short review because I'm just in awe of this book. Circe begins as a somewhat naive child in her father's household, unaware of her own power until her brother points it out to her. For those powers, she is banished to a deserted island, but her powers only grow from there. We meet many figures of Greek mythology - from gods and goddesses to mortals and monsters like Scylla and the Minotaur.
I just don't even know how to properly review this book other than it was amazing. If you like Greek mythology at ALL, you should read this book. It's captivating.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
This is actually going to be a pretty short review because I'm just in awe of this book. Circe begins as a somewhat naive child in her father's household, unaware of her own power until her brother points it out to her. For those powers, she is banished to a deserted island, but her powers only grow from there. We meet many figures of Greek mythology - from gods and goddesses to mortals and monsters like Scylla and the Minotaur.
I just don't even know how to properly review this book other than it was amazing. If you like Greek mythology at ALL, you should read this book. It's captivating.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
David McK (3557 KP) rated Trapped (The Iron Druid Chronicles, #5) in Books
Jan 30, 2019
Book #5 in Kevin Hearne's 'Iron Druid Chronicles', this takes place 12 years after the events of [b:Tricked|106843|Tricked|Alex Robinson|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347400465s/106843.jpg|102982], and thus 6 years after the in-between novella [b:Two Ravens and One Crow|15728721|Two Ravens and One Crow (The Iron Druid Chronicles, #4.5)|Kevin Hearne|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1344336650s/15728721.jpg|21407171].
In this, Atticus's apprentice Granuaille has finally nearly finished her training, with a large part of the story dealing with Atticus's attempts to get some peace in order to do so: a peace that keeps getting interrupted by the gods and goddesses of various pantheons, a lot of whom bear a grudge against him for various reasons (with the end of the novel having Atticus trying to make amends for previous actions - personally, I felt this was a bit 'tacked on' - against the Norse pantheon)
Comic relief, as always, is provided by his Irish Wolfhound Oberon (who Atticus can mentally communicate with), providing a much needed dose of lightening to the proceedings.
In this, Atticus's apprentice Granuaille has finally nearly finished her training, with a large part of the story dealing with Atticus's attempts to get some peace in order to do so: a peace that keeps getting interrupted by the gods and goddesses of various pantheons, a lot of whom bear a grudge against him for various reasons (with the end of the novel having Atticus trying to make amends for previous actions - personally, I felt this was a bit 'tacked on' - against the Norse pantheon)
Comic relief, as always, is provided by his Irish Wolfhound Oberon (who Atticus can mentally communicate with), providing a much needed dose of lightening to the proceedings.