IS RELIGION KILLING US? Violence in the Bible and the Quran

This hard-hitting, cogent book by Nelson-Pallmeyer, an assistant professor of peace and justice studies at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn., explores the relationship between religion and violence in Christianity, Judaism and Islam. "I accept that there are positive streams within the Bible and the Quran," he writes. "The problem that has been ignored for too long, however, is that these streams flow from and are flooded by an enormous reservoir of God's abusive violence." Nelson-Pallmeyer cites Old Testament/Hebrew Bible passages that point to God as a "determined and powerful land thief" and a "relentless" and bloodthirsty warrior. And while the New Testament is often perceived as a softer, gentler statement about God's goodness, Nelson-Pallmeyer claims that this more mild ethos is shored up by a system in which Jesus' sacrificial death appeases "a violent God who punishes sin." Likewise the Quran, which is informed by the Old and New Testaments, not surprisingly has a strong orientation toward religious violence (though Nelson-Pallmeyer overstates his case when he maintains that "almost every sura presents fear of God's wrath as the foundation for belief and action"). Nelson-Pallmeyer's sometimes harsh rhetoric is balanced by his extensive knowledge of the three religions' sacred texts and by a writing style which, for an academic, is refreshingly free of jargon. Chapters are short, accessible, and persuasive. While this book's perspective may be one-sided, it is a side that needs to be heard. (Feb.)