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The Lost Art of Scripture

By: Karen Armstrong
Narrated by: Karen Armstrong
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Summary

Brought to you by Penguin.

In our increasingly secular world, holy texts are at best seen as irrelevant, and at worst as an excuse to incite violence, hatred and division. So what value, if any, can scripture hold for us today? And if our world no longer seems compatible with scripture, is it perhaps because its original purpose has become lost?

Today we see the Quran being used by some to justify war and terrorism, the Torah to deny Palestinians the right to live in the Land of Israel, and the Bible to condemn homosexuality and contraception. The holy texts at the centre of all religious traditions are often employed selectively to underwrite arbitrary and subjective views. They are believed to be divinely ordained; they are claimed to contain eternal truths.

But as Karen Armstrong, a world authority on religious affairs, shows in this fascinating journey through millennia of history, this narrow reading of scripture is a relatively recent phenomenon. For hundreds of years these texts were instead viewed as spiritual tools: scripture was a means for the individual to connect with the divine, to transcend their physical existence, and to experience a higher level of consciousness. Holy texts were seen as fluid and adaptable, rather than a set of binding archaic rules or a ‘truth’ that has to be ‘believed’.

Armstrong argues that only by rediscovering an open engagement with their holy texts will the world’s religions be able to curtail arrogance, intolerance and violence. And if scripture is used to engage with the world in more meaningful and compassionate ways, we will find that it still has a great deal to teach us.

©2019 Karen Armstrong (P)2019 Penguin Audio
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Critic reviews

"One of our best living writers on religion." (Financial Times)

"Karen Armstrong is a genius." (A.N. Wilson)

"Karen Armstrong is one of the handful of wise and supremely intelligent commentators on religion." (Alain De Botton)

What listeners say about The Lost Art of Scripture

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Excellent well worth listening to

Looking forward to listening to more scriptural passages. Very educational and pleasing to listen to.

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AI-written summary

"The Lost Art of Scripture" is a book by Karen Armstrong that explores the role of scriptural traditions in shaping human history and culture. In the book, Armstrong argues that the creation and interpretation of scripture has always been a collective and communal process, and that the sacred texts of various traditions contain a wealth of knowledge and wisdom that can help us to understand the world and our place in it.

Armstrong begins the book by discussing the role of scriptural traditions in shaping human culture and identity, and how these traditions have evolved over time. She then goes on to explore the ways in which different scriptural traditions have been used and interpreted throughout history, including the role of scriptural exegesis and the different approaches to scriptural interpretation that have been developed by various religious traditions.

Throughout the book, Armstrong emphasizes the importance of engaging with scriptural traditions in a respectful and open-minded way, and encourages readers to approach these texts with a sense of curiosity and a willingness to learn. She also explores the challenges and controversies that have arisen in the interpretation of scriptural texts, and discusses the ways in which these challenges can be addressed in a respectful and productive manner.

Overall, "The Lost Art of Scripture" is a thought-provoking and insightful book that offers a nuanced and balanced perspective on the role of scriptural traditions in shaping human culture and identity. It encourages readers to approach these texts with an open mind and a willingness to learn, and offers valuable insights into the different approaches to scriptural interpretation that have been developed by various religious traditions.

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Extraordinary Book

As well as being a wonderful commentary on scripture, in its many forms, this book provides a background to how the world of religion & politics have clashed, to the detriment of civil society.
Well worth the listening.

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