Religion and Violence

Gr 10 Up—Given that this work has 130 entries (about 25 are U.S.-related) by more than 80 contributors, uneven focus and writing quality are predictable. Individuals, events, groups, acts, and areas are covered, often comprehensively (and with bibliographies). The "Atheism" article is narrow, omitting mention of the practice's ancient origins and Eastern non-theistic religious nonviolence. There is an extensive discussion of Jainism's just-war stance, but no reference to the origins of Jainism in the context of Brahmanism. The entry on Christianity barely acknowledges Christian-on-Christian violence and does not suggest seeing also "Colonization and Christianization," which provides a different assessment of Christian violence. Other cross-reference lists have surprising omissions (e.g., "Terrorism" is not linked to "Suicide Bombing"). Black-and-white photos are few and functional; the index is thorough. Although about half of the articles will be of interest to high school students, the others are heavily theoretical and presuppose extensive background knowledge.—Patricia D. Lothrop, St. George's School, Newport, RI