 |
Biography
Bill Moyers sits down with author and renowned religious scholar Karen Armstrong to reflect on religions and their meaning to the world today. A one-time Roman Catholic nun and a student of the sacred texts of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, Armstrong has had a unique journey in her search for
God. Among other topics, Armstrong and Moyers explore whether strong religious faith is compatible with religious freedom, the oppression of women in various religious traditions, and how war affects the world’s religions. Armstrong is the author of several books including the bestselling A
HISTORY OF GOD: THE 4,000-YEAR QUEST OF JUDAISM, CHRISTIANITY AND ISLAM and most recently, an autobiography THE SPIRAL STAIRCASE: MY CLIMB OUT OF DARKNESS.
|
|
|
 |
 |
Karen Armstrong spent seven years as a Roman Catholic nun in the 1960s, but
left her teaching order in 1969. She studied English literature at Oxford
University, earning the degrees of B.A. and M.Litt. Since then she has taught
modern literature at the University
of London, headed the English department in a girls' public school, and
taught part-time at the Leo Baeck College for the Study of Judaism and the
Training of Rabbis and Teachers. Since 1982, she has devoted her life to
writing, lecturing, and broadcasting on religious affairs.
Her books include THROUGH THE NARROW GATE; HOLY WAR: THE CRUSADES AND THEIR
IMPACT ON TODAY'S WORLD; MUHAMMAD: A BIOGRAPHY OF THE PROPHET; A HISTORY OF
GOD; JERUSALEM: ONE CITY, THREE FAITHS; IN THE BEGINNING: A NEW
INTERPRETATION OF GENESIS; THE BATTLE FOR GOD: A HISTORY OF FUNDAMENTALISM;
ISLAM: A SHORT HISTORY; and BUDDHA. Her work has been translated into forty
languages. She is also the author of three television documentaries and took
part in Bill Moyers's television series GENESIS. In 1999 she was awarded the
Muslim Public Affairs Council Media Award.
Since September 11, 2001, she has been a frequent contributor to conferences,
panels, newspapers, periodicals, and throughout the media on both sides of
the Atlantic on the subject of Islam and fundamentalism. She lives in London.
|
 |
|
|
|
