Islam

Author: Karen Armstrong

Stock information

General Fields

  • : 30.00 NZD
  • : 9781842125830
  • : Orion Publishing Group, Limited
  • : Weidenfeld & Nicolson
  • :
  • : 0.222
  • : May 2002
  • : 198mm X 129mm X 18mm
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  • : 29.99
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  • : books

Special Fields

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  • :
  • : Karen Armstrong
  • : Universal History
  • : Paperback
  • :
  • :
  • : English
  • : 297
  • : very good
  • :
  • : 224
  • : HRH
  • : maps
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Barcode 9781842125830
9781842125830

Description

In the public mind, Islam is a religion of extremes: it is the world's fastest growing faith; more than three-quarters of the world's refugees are Islamic; it has produced government by authoritarian monarchies in Saudi Arabia and ultra-republicans in Iran. Whether we are reading about civil war in Algeria or Afghanistan, the struggle for the soul of Turkey, or political turmoil in Pakistan or Malaysia, the Islamic context permeates all these situations. Karen Armstrong's elegant and concise book traces how Islam grew from the other religions of the book, Judaism and Christianity; introduces us to the character of Muhammed; and demonstrates that for much of its history, the religion has been a force for enlightenment that promoted liberties for women and allowed the arts and sciences to flourish. Islam shows how this progressive legacy is today often set aside as the faith struggles to come to terms with the economic and political weakness of most of its believers and with the forces of modernity itself.

Promotion info

Karen Armstrong is a high-profile and well-respected author Karen Armstrong is the author of the worldwide best-seller, A HISTORY OF GOD, which has now appeared in more than thirty languages Paperback edition of ISLAM has already been reprinted four times Includes a new Postscript on the events of September 11th 2001 Part of the Universal History series, an ambitious and authoritative collection of serious yet accessible histories by world-class authors 'A thoroughly good guide...as well as being an excellent antidote to prejudice' Financial Times.

Author description

Karen Armstrong spent seven years as a Roman Catholic nun, an experience she recollected in her two volumes of best-selling autobiography, THROUGH THE NARROW GATE and BEGINNING THE WORLD. She is the author of the world-wide best-seller, A HISTORY OF GOD (which has now appeared in more than thirty languages), the acclaimed HISTORY OF JERUSALEM and, most recently, THE BATTLE FOR GOD. She is a teacher at the Leo Baeck College for the Study of Judaism and, in 1999, she received the Muslim Public Affairs Council Media Award.