The Great Transformation: the beginning of our religious traditions
By Karen Armstrong
Alfred A. Knopf 2006
Review by John L, Ng
May, 2007
Post modernists see the world existentially, with egocentricity and in disconnected fragments. Post modern Christians see the world exclusively, void of historical layers and ignorant of religious traditions, including ours. Karen Armstrong’s The Great Transformation pushes us to see how we got here in our varied worldviews by bringing us back to the beginning of history as we know it – the millennium BCE. She calls it the Axial Age, a term borrowed from the German philosopher Karl Jaspers. This is the historical frame in which our major religious traditions find their genesis.
A thick book of more than 400 pages, it traces the development of biblical monotheism, Greek rationalism, Hinduism and Buddhism and Confucianism and Taoism. At first glance, these traditions seem to have little in common. Armstrong’s very readable narrative weaves these diverse strands into one fabric of parallel episodes. It is not an easy feat. It is understandable that at times the narrative is too sweeping, forced and even contradictory. As a former Catholic nun (her dark and faith damaging convent experience is vividly described in Through The Narrow Gate), Armstrong betrays her subtle irritation with the God of the Bible. Yet, The Great Transformation is a well researched and thought provoking book that demands our lingering reflection.
She guides the reader through an imaginative chronology of concurring but worlds apart events of intellectual thoughts, military conflicts, social upheavals and political evolutions that forged our religious traditions. The chapter headings are according to successive periods of history: “Ritual” 900-800BCE, “Kenosis” (Greek for emptying) 800-700BCE, “Knowledge” 700-600BCE, “Suffering” 600-530 BCE, “Empathy” 530-450 BCE, “Concern for Everybody” 450-398 BCE, “All is One” 400-300 BCE, “Empire” 300-220 BCE. However, after a 400 page, aggressive narration, it ends with a whimper. Her final “The Way Forward” chapter of about 40 pages concludes simplistically that living in a fearful and painful global village, we must learn to first practice self-criticism and then to guard against intolerance. Her best quote is all but obvious: “The Axial sages put the abandonment of selfishness and the spirituality of compassion at the top of their agenda.” To live well and good in religious pluralism, we must understand things by seeking to see the world through the windows of others. But if we claim that biblical faith is true and truth by definition is mutually exclusive, we still have to face up to the real and non-negotiable differences of our worldviews. Even if we put away ignorance and prejudice, we still live in a village of incompatible religious traditions.
Still, Armstrong’s ability to simplify the most complex and confusing events into a lucid narrative makes her book a good read. Any thoughtful Christian will find her informative and challenging. Her other books worth our while are The History of God, Holy War: the crusades and their impact on today’s world, Jerusalem: one city, three faiths, In the beginning (a thin but excellent commentary on Genesis), Islam: a short history, Buddha.
Alfred A. Knopf 2006
Review by John L, Ng
May, 2007
Post modernists see the world existentially, with egocentricity and in disconnected fragments. Post modern Christians see the world exclusively, void of historical layers and ignorant of religious traditions, including ours. Karen Armstrong’s The Great Transformation pushes us to see how we got here in our varied worldviews by bringing us back to the beginning of history as we know it – the millennium BCE. She calls it the Axial Age, a term borrowed from the German philosopher Karl Jaspers. This is the historical frame in which our major religious traditions find their genesis.
A thick book of more than 400 pages, it traces the development of biblical monotheism, Greek rationalism, Hinduism and Buddhism and Confucianism and Taoism. At first glance, these traditions seem to have little in common. Armstrong’s very readable narrative weaves these diverse strands into one fabric of parallel episodes. It is not an easy feat. It is understandable that at times the narrative is too sweeping, forced and even contradictory. As a former Catholic nun (her dark and faith damaging convent experience is vividly described in Through The Narrow Gate), Armstrong betrays her subtle irritation with the God of the Bible. Yet, The Great Transformation is a well researched and thought provoking book that demands our lingering reflection.
She guides the reader through an imaginative chronology of concurring but worlds apart events of intellectual thoughts, military conflicts, social upheavals and political evolutions that forged our religious traditions. The chapter headings are according to successive periods of history: “Ritual” 900-800BCE, “Kenosis” (Greek for emptying) 800-700BCE, “Knowledge” 700-600BCE, “Suffering” 600-530 BCE, “Empathy” 530-450 BCE, “Concern for Everybody” 450-398 BCE, “All is One” 400-300 BCE, “Empire” 300-220 BCE. However, after a 400 page, aggressive narration, it ends with a whimper. Her final “The Way Forward” chapter of about 40 pages concludes simplistically that living in a fearful and painful global village, we must learn to first practice self-criticism and then to guard against intolerance. Her best quote is all but obvious: “The Axial sages put the abandonment of selfishness and the spirituality of compassion at the top of their agenda.” To live well and good in religious pluralism, we must understand things by seeking to see the world through the windows of others. But if we claim that biblical faith is true and truth by definition is mutually exclusive, we still have to face up to the real and non-negotiable differences of our worldviews. Even if we put away ignorance and prejudice, we still live in a village of incompatible religious traditions.
Still, Armstrong’s ability to simplify the most complex and confusing events into a lucid narrative makes her book a good read. Any thoughtful Christian will find her informative and challenging. Her other books worth our while are The History of God, Holy War: the crusades and their impact on today’s world, Jerusalem: one city, three faiths, In the beginning (a thin but excellent commentary on Genesis), Islam: a short history, Buddha.