Five Questions with Karen Armstrong
Religious scholar Karen Armstrong talks about her ideas about God with U.S. Catholic's Megan Sweas. Read more from Armstrong, the author of The Case for God, in U.S. Catholic's interview with her, How not to talk about God.
wonderful interview and article
By glenn (not verified) on Saturday, January 16, 2010Thanks for publishing this excellent interview and article. I find many of her perspectives on religion entirely compatible with orthodox Catholic practice.
I would be interested to know how she applies her stance as religion as call to action and compassion outside her career as a scholar.
Happy Karen Moves Toward Mystical
By Greg (not verified) on Wednesday, December 23, 2009For years I would read Karen Armstrong's works or comments and end up jumping up and down while muttering, "She doesn't get it. She just doesn't get it. Great history but no feeling (i.e. mystical insight)."
This interview signals a much-welcomed change in direction with her mention of moving past iconic religion to experiential and transcendental religion.
Lovely to see she is going through transformation and bringing the change forth in her interviews.
Her mention of her study of Eastern religions and her mention of the Benedictine lectio divina reminds me of a wonderful book The Gethsemani Encounter about Buddhist and Christian monastics coming together for a retreat.
Good interview.
Great book
By Megan Sweas on Wednesday, December 23, 2009Bryan and I were pleasantly surprised about how "Catholic" she seemed, even if she doesn't identify as such any more.
The Gethsemani Encounter is great. We will have a piece by editor Donald Mitchell coming up in 2010. He was working on a new edition of that book, I believe about Buddhist/Catholic monasticism and the environment.
Study is how Karen Armstrong practices her faith
By Jim Brown (not verified) on Tuesday, December 22, 2009I applaud Karen Armstrong's idea of study as a way to relate to the transcendent God. Searching for the truth among many different religious and quasi-religious signs, symbols and analogies respects the diversity of the human pilgrimage. One can begin to 'encounter' God as a result of such study.
I disagree that study is the end of the journey toward God. Ultimately, the essential questions that every human being must answer as a result of study or their own life experiences are 'What am I?' and 'What does it mean to live in the presence of transcendent mystery?' Study can only go so far in providing answers to these questions. Each person must wrestle, in her own way, with the reality that she is completely unable to cross the infinite chasm that separates her from God. If she has faith, she also recognizes her utter dependence on God's gift of faith, who bridged that infinite chasm by communicating himself to her.
Somehow I believe that Karen Armstrong also agrees with me.
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