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Somewhat related, several months ago I read Karen Armstrong's "A History of God" based on a recommendation in a similar thread. While not the most influential book I've read (I'm not even sure what that would be), it provided a nice perspective on the history and evolution of Judaism/Christianity/Islam and changed a lot of my opinions on the matter. Would recommend a read for anyone interested in the matter.

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I know it's a bit fraught to share on a public forum, but would you be willing to share how it changed your opinions on the matter?

I also really enjoyed "A History of God', but found the author's conclusions a bit odd. She seemed to still be devout, and yet her book destroyed what little faith and hope I still had in organized religion. It really laid bare how so much religious change was due, not to some sort of new understanding of the world, but either attempts to acquire political power or abstract debates over semantics.

The problem with her book is that it presents a fairly Eurocentric view of “God.” It also uses a historical/ anthropological approach, so there’s no claim of higher truth being made.

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