Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life

Drawing on a wide range of material – ranging from the spiritual character of the world religions to the findings of contemporary neuroscience – Karen Armstrong argues that compassion is hardwired into our brains, yet is constantly pushed back by our more primitive instincts for selfishness and survival. Since time immemorial religion has enhanced our altruistic tendencies: all faiths insist that the Golden Rule is the test of true spirituality – ‘Always treat others as you wish to be treated yourself’.