Podcasts about blood religion

This is a fascinating dialogue with British historian Karen Armstrong, winner of the TED Prize and best-selling author of The History of God and Fields of Blood: Religion and the History of Violence. A one-time nun, Armstrong grew deeply disenchanted with religious life, only to evolve into a brilliant religious historian, based in London. She […]

Karen Armstrong has written over 16 books on faith and the major religions, studying what Islam, Judaism and Christianity have in common, and how our faiths have shaped world history and drive current events.She came to the Intelligence Squared stage to talk about her forthcoming book 'Fields of Blood: Religion and the History of Violence'. Journeying from prehistoric times to the present, she contrasted medieval crusaders and modern-day jihadists with the pacifism of the Buddha and Jesus’ vision of a just and peaceful society. And she demonstrated that the underlying reasons – social, economic, political – for war and violence in our history have often had very little to do with religion. Instead, Armstrong celebrates the religious ideas and movements that have opposed war and aggression and promoted peace and reconciliation.Armstrong was in discussion with journalist and broadcaster Tom Sutcliffe. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Lecture given by Karen Armstrong (author of 'Fields of Blood: Religion and the History of Violence') at St Antony's Middle East Centre on 13th November 2015. "Lecture given by Karen Armstrong (author of "Fields of Blood: Religion and the History of Violence") on "Is Religion Really Violent?" at St Antony's Middle East Centre on 13/11/15. Keywords: Secularism, religion, Karen Armstrong, MEC, Islam, Europe. "

Religious self-identification is on the decline in the United States. Some analysts have cited the cause as being a post-9/11 perception that faith in general is a source of aggression, intolerance, and divisiveness. But how accurate is that view? In her new book, Fields of Blood: Religion and the History of Violence, Karen Armstrong sets out to discover the truth about religion and violence in each of the world’s great traditions, taking us on an astonishing journey from prehistoric times to the present. While many historians have looked at violence in connection with particular religious manifestations (jihad in Islam or Christianity’s Crusades), Armstrong looks at not only Christianity and Islam, but also Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism, Daoism, and Judaism. Karen Armstrong is one of the most original and inclusive speakers on the role of religion in the modern world. In her public speaking and bestselling books, including A History of God, she examines the differences and profound similarities between Christianity, Islam, and Judaism, and their impact on world events. A former Catholic nun who left the convent to study literature, Armstrong is an authority on world faiths, religious fundamentalism, and monotheism. She was a key advisor on Bill Moyers' landmark PBS series on religion, has addressed members of the U.S. Congress, and was one of three scholars to speak at the UN's first ever session on religion. Select Bibliography: Fields of Blood: Religion and the History of Violence A History of God The Battle for God The Great Transformation: The Beginning of Our Religious Traditions The Bible: A Biography

Karen Armstrong, in her book “Fields of Blood: Religion and the History of Violence” writes that: “In the West the idea that religion is inherently violent is now taken for granted and seems self-evident. As one who speaks on religion, I constantly hear how cruel and aggressive it has been, a view that, eerily, is expressed the same way almost every time: ‘Religion has been the cause of all the major wars in history.'” Armstrong asserts that: “The problem lies not in the multifaceted activity that we call ‘religion' but in the violence embedded in our human nature and the nature of the state…”

The fourth in our lecture series for Hilary Term 2015, given in the JCR at Mansfield College by Karen Armstrong -- Author and commentator.

The fourth in our lecture series for Hilary Term 2015, given in the JCR at Mansfield College by Karen Armstrong -- Author and commentator.

Karen Armstrong has written over 16 books on faith and the major religions, studying what Islam, Judaism and Christianity have in common, and how our faiths have shaped world history and drive current events. She came to the Intelligence Squared stage to talk about her forthcoming book 'Fields of Blood: Religion and the History of Violence'. Journeying from prehistoric times to the present, she contrasted medieval crusaders and modern-day jihadists with the pacifism of the Buddha and Jesus’ vision of a just and peaceful society. And she demonstrated that the underlying reasons – social, economic, political – for war and violence in our history have often had very little to do with religion. Instead, Armstrong celebrates the religious ideas and movements that have opposed war and aggression and promoted peace and reconciliation. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.