Sean Bala reviewed A Short History of Myth by Karen Armstrong
Review of 'A Short History of Myth (Myths, The)' on 'Goodreads'
2 stars
"A Short History of Myth" by Karen Armstrong feels like a distillation of most of Karen Armstrong's past works with a variation of theme - a generalized examination of religion as an idea or concept. She usually attempts to show how religion has always been a feature of human societies, the way in which religion has been both a positive and negative force for humanity, and the fact that there are dangers to fundamentalism and secularization to humanity. She writes books on religion for a general audience and I believe that she does this well. This book looks at these themes from the perspective of the idea of myth and storytelling. It is a short book - you can read it in an afternoon. I do feel that it sometimes feels too generalized - this can be a danger with popular books on religion. But there is a role for …
"A Short History of Myth" by Karen Armstrong feels like a distillation of most of Karen Armstrong's past works with a variation of theme - a generalized examination of religion as an idea or concept. She usually attempts to show how religion has always been a feature of human societies, the way in which religion has been both a positive and negative force for humanity, and the fact that there are dangers to fundamentalism and secularization to humanity. She writes books on religion for a general audience and I believe that she does this well. This book looks at these themes from the perspective of the idea of myth and storytelling. It is a short book - you can read it in an afternoon. I do feel that it sometimes feels too generalized - this can be a danger with popular books on religion. But there is a role for these type of books as gateways into deeper and more nuanced engagement. I do feel that the book sets its parameters and stays within them well. Like many reviews, I feel that the book is very good at the end when it looks at contemporary society's loss of myth and storytelling as a unifying force. This is a good book to read in conjunction with the works of Joseph Campbell.
