This was the subject of her talk at TED and this also brought her to Speaking of Faith with Krista Tippett. What I find attractive that in all instances, Armstrong lumps the three monotheistic religions together and given the chance, chips in some Buddhism as well. Her quest is not for theological doctrines, her quest, if I have to put it in my own words, is what religions have to offer to people. In the end she emphasizes, again in my words, the existential importance of faith, the experience, the effect on emotions and conduct. For her, religion must and can improve the quality of life and in this respect they do not differ and in this respect, those three monotheistic religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, have so much in common, they nearly speak the same language.
In the interview with Tippett, she related her own spiritual path, from being a drop-out nun, to a secular theologian, a TV maker and eventually the writer and thinker she is today. This personal journey involves her own struggle with Catholic roots. This is tangible when she speaks of Paul, calling him Saint Paul. This may detach the non-catholic listener, but it is worthwhile to tag along. (audio, transcript, uncut audio)
One of the most important aspects of the religions and one that has gone lost in recent time, as she sees it, is compassion. This is also the subject of her presentation at TED.
More Speaking of Faith:
Wangari Maathai
Faith based diplomacy
Rachel Naomi Remen, (highly recommended)
Rumi,
New Evangelicals,
V. V. Raman.
More TED:
Ben Dunlap. (highly recommended)
3 comments:
Compassion? I don't think so.
The central idea of all the monotheistic religions is this - "believe what we believe or spend eternity in hell."
That isn't compassion. That's intolerance and violence at the very core of all of the monotheistic religions.
Armstrong's speech is to claim that the monotheistic religions, just as you put it, have lost compassion. It is her opinion compassion was essential and should be reclaimed.
Are you saying that such is intrinsically impossible?
Some of these issues also come up in other blog entries:
Humanism
Christopher Hitchins
Atheism-Religion divide
Personally, I find that religions have discriminatory, self-congratulating tendencies, that indeed stand in the way of true compassion. Other types of world views, in my mind, are prone to the same defect though. It seems to me the weakness of our judgmental human condition.
I guess the problem with Armstrong is that when she claims religion is essentially all about "Don't do unto others what you would not want them to do to you - the rest is commentary...", she's merely stating some banal form of wishful thinking.
To put it stronger: that statement is actually much more fitting to humanism, or a kind of rationally-ethical atheism, and misrepresents completely the complexity that lies at the core of religion.
Take for example that story of Shimshon: would you agree to label the bottom line of it with "don't do unto others etc."? Of course not.
Haven't read anything by Armstrong yet, but what I hear here is very disappointing stuff for someone who is supposed to be an (or at least a kind of) historian of religion.
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