Religion and the History of Violence

KUER 90.1 | By Doug Fabrizio

Published November 5, 2014 at 11:00 AM MST

In her new book, religion scholar Karen Armstrong takes on a question at the heart of today’s geopolitical debates: is religion responsible for violence? For Armstrong, the answer lies in the long view of human nature and the nature of the state. Wednesday, she joins us to explain how impulses like greed and the quest for power begat a warrior code and how that became entangled with religion. Karen Armstrong says we’ve made a scapegoat of faith, and that we live in an era when simple answers won’t do.

Karen Armstrong has written numerous books on religion, including The Case for God [Indiebound|Amazon] and Holy War [Indiebound|Amazon]. Her latest is called Fields of Blood: Religion and the History of Violence [Indiebound|Amazon].

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Doug Fabrizio

Doug Fabrizio has been reporting for KUER News since 1987, and became News Director in 1993. In 2001, he became host and executive producer of KUER's RadioWest, a one hour conversation/call-in show on KUER 90.1 in Salt Lake City. He has gained a reputation for his thoughtful style. He has interviewed everyone from Isabel Allende to the Dalai Lama, and from Madeleine Albright to Desmond Tutu. His interview skills landed him a spot as a guest host of the national NPR program, "Talk of the Nation." He has won numerous awards for his reporting and for his work with RadioWest and KUED's Utah NOW from such organizations as the Society of Professional Journalists, the Utah Broadcasters Association, the Public Radio News Directors Association and the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

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