Karen Armstrong - Religious Writer And Speaker

Karen Armstrong, Irish writer and religious commentator, circa April 2004. Born into a religious family, Armstrong became a Roman Catholic nun in her early twenties. She became disillusioned, however, while studying at Oxford and left the convent. She went on to become a writer and speaker. Her work focuses around religion, in particular the commonalities of the major religions. In 2008 Armstrong won the $100,000 TED prize, which is granted to those with a "wish to change the world." (Photo by Eamonn McCabe/Popperfoto via Getty Images)