The Lost Art of Scripture

A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK

From one of the most trusted and admired writers on the world of faith, a timely and important examination of the meaning of scripture.

The significance of scripture may not be immediately obvious in our secular world, but its misunderstanding is perhaps the root cause of many of today's controversies. The sacred texts have been co-opted by fundamentalists, who insist that they must be taken literally, and by others who interpret scripture to bolster their own prejudices. These texts are seen to prescribe ethical norms and codes of behavior that are divinely ordained: they are believed to contain eternal truths. But as Karen Armstrong shows in this chronicle of the development and significance of major religions,… Keep Reading