Scripture and Violence

Many people assume that violent acts committed by Muslims spring from their faith and are licensed by the Qur'an, and some voice similar worries about the sacred texts of Christians and Jews. This volume asks whether those worries hold up, and what part scripture actually plays in driving and legitimizing violence across the three traditions.

The contributors examine a range of linked questions. They consider why modern observers tend to scrutinize other communities' scriptures and violence more harshly than their own, why the reading and application of a passage is often treated as obvious, and why the conduct of religious people is so quickly traced back to what they have read.

The chapters are written by scholars of Islam, Judaism, and Christianity who bring differing viewpoints to these problems. Their shared focus is the tangled connection between sacred texts and human behavior. The book is aimed at students and academics of religion and violence, the Abrahamic faiths, and scriptural interpretation, and it also suits researchers in religion and politics, the sociology and anthropology of religion, and the place of religion in secular public life.

The editors have also built a companion website with lesson plans and discussion guides for each chapter, so the material can be taken up in congregations, mosques, interfaith gatherings, and government settings.