Karen Armstrong

This week there’s another chance to hear Roy Jenkins’ fascinating interview with Karen Armstrong.

Reckoned to be one of the world’s leading writers on world religions, she is in demand on platforms around the world - a far cry from the life of a Roman Catholic convent she entered at the age of 17. The Founder of the Charter for Compassion, Karen Armstrong doesn’t shy away from big topics – amongst her many publications are a biography of the prophet Mohammed and the modestly titled a “History of God”, and “Fields of Blood: Religion and the History of Violence”.

Here she talks about her journey from faith to a breakdown, to a complete separation from the church, which led to a new understanding of God and the role of religion in the world.