These social/spiritual insights are progressively codified and formalised as doctrine with only an increasingly vague connection to the original motivating social conditions. The deficiencies of the prevailing conditions are typically expressed in syncretistic religious terms borrowed from whatever spiritual traditions are available. The start of religious movement is most often sociological and economic. Various studies of religion over recent decades show a remarkably similar pattern of development that seems to be universal. It's a great jumping off place to expand your horizons.

I really learned a great deal and don't feel as ignorant as I did before. It's very much like Christianity that varies from Catholics to Mormons to Jehovah's Witnesses to Evangicals.It seems like we have many similarities but there are also cultural differences. The book goes into the many sects of Islam. He valued her and she was his advisor, advocate, lover and friend. He was in a monogamous relationship with her until she died. Muhammad married an older woman, Khadija, a wealthy and respected businesswoman. It was the followers who came after both of them that twisted their message. One thing that came as a surprise to me was that Muhammad, like Jesus, did appreciate women and their contributions. I have to be up front that I knew nothing about Muhammad and so it was great place to begin. Someone recommended this book and it turned out to be a great choice. We were woefully ignorant on the subject and needed to learn something about the religion.

Our Bible study class decided we wanted to learn something about Muslims. What is the essence of this ancient faith? Is it a religion of peace or of war? How does Allah differ from the God of Jews and Christians? Can an Islamic state be founded on democratic values such as pluralism and human rights? In No god but God, challenging the 'clash of civilisations' mentality that has distorted out view of Islam, Aslan explains the faith in all its complexity, beauty and compassion. While there have been a number of successful books on the topic of Islamic history - from Karen Armstrong's Islam: A Brief History to Bernard Lewis's The Crisis of Islam, there is surprisingly no book for a popular audience about Islam as a religion, let alone one by an author from an Islamic background. Yet these represent only fringe elements of the world's fastest growing religion.

To many in the west, Islam means jihad, veiled women and suicide bombers. Though it is the fastest growing religion in the world, Islam remains shrouded in ignorance and fear.

No god but God by Reza Aslan