Rowman & Littlefield Publishers Holy War, Just War: Exploring the Moral Meaning of Religious Violence

Product Description Holy War, Just War explores the 'dark side' in Christianity, Islam, and Judaism by examining how the concept of ultimate value contributes to religious violence. The book states that religion has within its own conceptual tools the resources to understand its own dark side and that religious people must subject their religion to a moral vision of goodness and constrain those parts that make for violence and hatred. Review A powerful and moving reminder of religion's power to inspire both good and evil action; to justify or restrain human destructiveness. Steffen argues persuasively that religion itself must be subject to moral scrutiny, and that our deliberations about the goodness or badness of our contemplated actions require moral - not just religious - reasoning. At a time when leaders are increasingly motivated by their interpretations of religions teachings, this book teaches us that every one of us - especially political and religious leaders - has the obligation to ensure that our conceptions of ultimacy not be overtaken by absolutist thought.--Jessica Stern, Harvard University, author of Terror in the Name of God In this important book, Lloyd Steffen argues persuasively that religion is ultimately about human choices. Whether religion serves or destroys us will be determined by the integrity of our moral vision of goodness and our willingness to allow that vision to challenge religiously inspired violence.--Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer, professor of justice and peace studies, University of St. Thomas, author of Is Religion Killing Us? Violence in the Bible and t Steffen makes a thoughtful argument for a bold, indeed a radical idea. The god that most of us want is a god of absolute power and control who assures a steady course towards goodness no matter how morally chaotic the appearance of things may be. But Steffen argues that the idea of such an absolute god is necessarily linked to religiously legitimated violence. If we want to ameliorate the human condition we need a new understanding of 'the ultimate'. If, as Steffen argues, our understanding of god must be measured by the moral consequences of those ideas here on earth, then traditional theology has a long ways to go before it becomes less dangerous to humans.--John Raines, professor of religion, Temple University About the Author Lloyd Steffen is professor of religion studies at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and author of Life/Choice: The Theory of Just Abortion, and Executing Justice: The Moral Meaning of the Death Penalty.