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God
- An Anatomy - As heard on Radio 4
- Narrated by: Francesca Stavrakopoulou
- Length: 16 hrs and 16 mins
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God
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Summary
Winner of The PEN Hessell-Tiltman Prize 2022
Shortlisted for The Wolfson History Prize 2022
One of The Times Books of the Year 2022
Three thousand years ago, in the Southwest Asian lands we now call Israel and Palestine, a group of people worshipped a complex pantheon of deities, led by a father god called El. El had 70 children, who were gods in their own right. One of them was a minor storm deity, known as Yahweh. Yahweh had a body, a wife, offspring and colleagues. He fought monsters and mortals. He gorged on food and wine, wrote books and took walks and naps. But he would become something far larger and far more abstract: the God of the great monotheistic religions.
But as Professor Francesca Stavrakopoulou reveals, God’s cultural DNA stretches back centuries before the Bible was written, and persists in the tics and twitches of our own society, whether we are believers or not. The Bible has shaped our ideas about God and religion, but also our cultural preferences about human existence and experience; our concept of life and death; our attitude to sex and gender; our habits of eating and drinking; our understanding of history. Examining God’s body, from his head to his hands, feet and genitals, she shows how the Western idea of God developed. She explores the places and artefacts that shaped our view of this singular God and the ancient religions and societies of the biblical world. And in doing so, she analyses not only the origins of our oldest monotheistic religions but also the origins of Western culture.
Beautifully written, passionately argued and frequently controversial, God: An Anatomy is cultural history on a grand scale.
Critic reviews
"Rivetingly fresh and stunning." (Sunday Times)
"A tour de force, a triumph." (Catholic Herald)
"One of the most remarkable historians and communicators working today." (Dan Snow)
What listeners say about God
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- Adam Spiers
- 22-09-21
Excellent!
Bringing the most recent biblical scholarship to bear in a popular level book was always going to be a triumph for Francesca Stavrakopoulou. This is an excellent book, frequently funny, always informative. I can think of many people who should read it!
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- Marta
- 19-06-23
Interesting
I watched interview with Francesca on Mythvision podcast where they were discussing this book. It picked my interest so Iv read this book. Worth it! Extremely well researched wonderfully written book
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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- Oskar November
- 26-01-22
excellent bible scholarship
there were a few wokey bits i could have done without but as far as I can tell, excellent scholarship. Inspired me to re-read Hezekiel, Daniel etc. and to benefit exceedingly from the wisdom of scripture. Exultabunt ossa humiliata.
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- david c
- 18-07-22
Fantastic.
So good I purchased the book.
Very nicely read.
The Bible is far more interesting if read with a none spiritual mind.
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- Mr. A. N
- 07-06-22
A fascinating new perspective on Bible origins
I've never heard the word "p5nis" so much on my way to work, and I listen to Richard Herring. 5 stars.
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1 person found this helpful
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- FrankByNature
- 25-11-21
Richly revealing
A satisfyingly scholarly book by a leading authority. Detailed and thoughtful content delivered with superb clarity makes this a great listen for religious believers and atheists alike. Expertly read by the author.
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2 people found this helpful
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- BlackButterfly
- 05-07-23
Brilliant in every way
Wow, I thought I knew a lot about the bible but this book really uncovers new things you probably didn’t know. The comparisons between Christianity and Judaism and the depiction of God through history is really well done.
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- Stephen
- 19-12-22
Francesca God of Gods
What a pleasure to read. God as history; starting with Wife and family, in physical majesty, warlike, sexual, mistake-ridden, and one amongst many. To the current day; non-corporeal, the only God and perfect.
Francesca writes the history using the best of scholarly techniques, letting the evidence shape the story, seasoning it with her obvious love of subject in all its, gore, lust, beauty and capricious twists.
Just the kind of non-partisan history I have been seeking.
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- Janet
- 18-02-22
The true history of the face (and body) of God
Working from the earliest sources Francesca gives us a real picture of God as he was imagined by the people writing at the time. This was not an invisible, intangible being. This was a beautiful, strong, robust being with all the feelings and emotions we understand. After all we were made in God’s image weren’t we?
As time passes God becomes less a being of warlike strength and physical prowess, and more a being of aged wisdom. His hair turns grey.
Surely to rely on one collection of stories, amended and “interpreted” by scribes and scholars over the intervening years is not a good foundation for a belief system.
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- Edward Longford
- 29-08-22
must read 2022
fantastic collection of evidence that builds on a narrative of how God deleveoped from local small deity like so many of his fellows to supernatural. Probably eye opening for many people who have either not read their bibles fully or studied near Eastern bronze and iron age religions
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