Description
Book SynopsisConfronting Genocide: Judaism, Christianity, Islam is the first collection of essays by recognized scholars primarily in the field of religious studies to address this timely topic. In addition to theoretical thinking about both religion and genocide and the relationship between the two, these authors look at the tragedies of the Holocaust, the Armenian Genocide, Rwanda, Bosnia, and the Sudan from their own unique vantage point. In so doing, they supply a much needed additional contribution to the ongoing conversations proffered by historians, political scientists, sociologists, psychologists, and legal scholars regarding prevention, intervention, and punishment.
Trade ReviewReligion has too often been a cause of genocide. The essays in this collection examine why, and then propose how religious texts and traditions could be re-interpreted so that religions could become forces against genocide. -- Gregory Stanton, President, The International Association of Genocide Scholars
Confronting Genocide is an essential exploration of this complex dimension of the conceptual foundations of genocide. Steven Jacobs has done superb work in bringing together a broad and rich range of scholarly perspectives. A necessary contribution to genocide studies. -- Peter Balakian, author of The Burning Tigris: The Armenian Genocide and America's Response
Recommended. * CHOICE, February 2010 *
My God! This book about what our Gods really instruct us—is it 'Do Not Kill,' or is it 'Yes, Kill in My Name' (or alternately both notwithstanding the contradiction)—deserves our deep thoughtfulness along with considerable appreciation to the editor for addressing soundly a largely neglected and censored topic. Steven Jacobs leads us to important encounters with 'exclusivity, superiority, privileged access to God'; 'chosen people'-ness and 'promised land-ness'; 'nationalist-racist ideology undergirded by religious thought'; and how religion often 'divides humanity into believers and infidels, into the saved and the damned.' Highly recommended. -- Israel W. Charny, Institute on the Holocaust and Genocide
Table of ContentsChapter 1 Introduction: Genocide in the Name of God: Thoughts on Religion and Genocide Part 2 Part I. Textual Warrants for Genocide Chapter 3 1. Theological Warrants for Genocide Chapter 4 2. The Last Uncomfortable Religious Question? Monotheistic Exclusivism and Textual Superiority in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam as Sources of Hate and Genocide Chapter 5 3. A Sweet-Smelling Sacrifice: Genocide, the Bible, and the Indigenous Peoples of the United States, Selected Examples Chapter 6 4. The Accountability of Religion in Genocide Chapter 7 5. More than the Jews: His Blood Be Upon All the Children: Biblical Violence, Bosnian Genocide, and Responsible Reading Part 8 Part II. Religion and Mass Violence: Empirical Data and Case Studies Chapter 9 6. Religion and Genocide Chapter 10 7. Jihad and Genocide: The Case of the Armenians Chapter 11 8. Islam and Genocide: The Case of Bangladesh in 1971 Chapter 12 9. The Genocidal Twentieth Century in the Balkans Chapter 13 10. "Death was everywhere, even in front of the church": Christian Faith and the Rwandan Genocide Part 14 Part III. Alternative Readings of Troubling Texts: Religion as a Force against Violence Chapter 15 11. Getting Rid of the G-d of Abraham: A Prerequisite for Genocide Chapter 16 12. The Ten Commandments, the Holocaust, and Reflections on Genocide Chapter 17 13. Coming to Terms with Amalek: Testing the Limits of Hospitality Part 18 Part IV. Theologies and Practices of Reconciliation Chapter 19 14. Post-Shoah Restitution of a Different Kind Chapter 20 15. The Holocaust, Genocide, and the Catholic Church Chapter 21 16. Catholic Perspectives on Holocaust and Genocide: Critical Appraisal Chapter 22 17. Terror out of Zion: Making Sense of Scriptural Teaching Chapter 23 18. Rape, Religion, and Genocide: An Unholy Silence
