Judaism Armstrong begins with the rise of the
cult of
Yahweh (Jahweh), one of the deities of
Canaan. According to Armstrong, the cult of Yahweh consisted of a variety of ethnic groups that migrated to Canaan in three waves. These groups were united by their loyalty to Yahweh. Yahweh was unique in the ancient Middle East in that he actually participated in the
profane lives of his worshipers. She then examines the sources of the
Pentateuch by way of the four authors or groups of authors, known according to the
documentary hypothesis as
J,
E,
P and
D. Moreover, she explores some of the textual tensions that exist in the Pentateuch as a result of the theological tensions between these authors, or groups of authors. For Armstrong, this tension can be seen in, for example, the contrasting accounts of
theophanies. The
Jahwist (J) writes of very "intimate" encounters between Abraham and Yahweh, while the
Elohist (E) "prefers to distance the event and make the old legends less
anthropomorphic." There follows an examination of the major
Israelite prophets, including
Isaiah, second Isaiah,
Hosea and
Ezekiel, and the contribution each made to the
Jewish conception of God.
Christianity Armstrong then turns to the stories attributed to the life of
Jesus. She identifies his roots in the
Pharisaic tradition of
Hillel the Elder and his effect on the Jewish conception of a god. The death of Jesus and its attendant symbolism are examined, including the various constructions others, most notably
Paul, have placed upon these events. The book explores the rise of trinitarianism, leading to the
Nicene Creed, and traces the evolution of the Christian conception of God and the
Trinity in the respective
Eastern and
Western traditions. Armstrong discusses the rise of modern Christian religiosity, in particular the
Protestantism of
Martin Luther and
John Calvin.
Islam The rise of
Islam and its appreciation of the nature of God are examined. Armstrong analyzes how modern
Shia Islam, with its emphasis upon social action in the service of
Allah, the Islamic prophet
Muhammad, and the
Shia Imams, was a key factor that brought about the
Iranian Revolution of 1979. Subsequent chapters examine respectively both philosophical approaches to the idea of God, and the mystical relationship with God.
Conclusion The final chapters examine the notion of the
Death of God and the idea of God in a
post-modern world. ==Sources==