Karen Armstrong
The depth and scope of Karen Armstrong’s expertise in scripture and the history of religion is on full display in The Lost Art of Scripture: Rescuing the Sacred Texts.
Armstrong argues there has been a gradual narrowing of focus in the major religious traditions, a narrowing that has accelerated over the last hundred years. Religious texts, which were once considered open-ended and a path to spiritual awareness and transcendence, have been distorted to promote a narrow set of beliefs and political agenda. She claims this impoverishment of scripture leads to arrogance, intolerance, religious bigotry, and violence. Instead of reading scripture to achieve transformation, Armstrong claims we now read it to confirm our views and to prove our enemies wrong. Alternatively, we dismiss it entirely. She advocates for a restoration of the original intent of all religious texts.
To support her argument, Armstrong traces the beginnings and historical developments of the major religious traditions, including Judaism, Christianity, Confucianism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, as well as some of their offshoots. She discusses the major figures who have influenced the tradition and traces the trajectories of each tradition. She claims the diverse traditions have in common denial of the ego and insistence on the alleviation of the suffering of others, including those outside of one’s own group.
Armstrong distinguishes between the methodology and goals of science and those of Scripture. Unlike science, scripture is not morally neutral. Its goal is to facilitate our moral and spiritual transformation; to enhance our spiritualty; to enrich our humanity; to connect us with all of creation; and to evoke a sense of wonder, respect, and reverence for the cosmos, for the natural world, and for all that reside within it. Its methodology is non-scientific. Using ritual, music, and recitation to achieve its goals, scripture was never meant to be interpreted literally. It is intended to be evolving, flexible, and contextual.
Armstrong’s knowledge of the religious texts and traditions is extensive. She places each in its historical context and draws out parallels and similarities between the various traditions. Her scope is wide. But she drowns the reader with such an excess of detailed information that the material becomes unwieldy. She contextualizes a scripture in a historical era, then shifts to the development of a second, third, and fourth scripture during the same historical era. She then returns to the first scripture and moves it forward to the next phase in its historical development. The same format is repeated throughout. This discussion of alternating scriptures has the benefit of broadening scope and showing general global trends throughout various historical periods. But the excessive detail and shifting of traditions is confusing.
The panoramic scope of this work is impressive. The stated mission to rescue sacred texts from narrow, literal interpretations is highly commendable. But by assigning blame of the narrow reading of scripture to excessive reliance on left-brain thinking, Armstrong reduces a complex issue to a simplistic formula. However, if this extensive study spurs a re-reading of scripture that enhances compassion and understanding for the weak and marginalized, Karen Armstrong deserves our gratitude and praise.