THE GREAT TRANSFORMATION The Beginning of Our Religious Traditions

During the ninth century BCE, the people of India, China, the area now known as Israel, and Greece developed religious and philosophical traditions that continue today. This era of intense spiritual activity came to be known as the Axial Age and brought us the figures of Buddha, Confucius, Socrates, and the Hebrew prophets. Religious scholar Karen Armstrong examines the development of these four traditions, which have in common a call for personal responsibility followed by effective action. The material is deep, with many names of people and places, and requires great concentration. Also, Armstrong is far from aurally engaging. When making transitions, she doesn't uses pauses effectively, a characteristic that causes one to lose track momentarily. R.C.G. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/ NOV 06]