Terror in the Mind of God: The Global Rise of Religious Violence (Comparative Studies in Religion and Society)

Rating:
Summary: Misses the Mark
Review: The author has done a good job with this topic and his research and interviews are extensive. There is broad coverage of religious violence in all of the major faiths as well as a good discussion of why people are attracted to the irrationality of religious mass movements. The only thing I didn't like about the book was the end in which the author states in a cursory fashion that religion elevates the moral and spiritual values of public life. In fairness, the author does not explore this topic, but on the other hand, since he provides no support for this proposition, I don't think he should have stated it. This issue is the subject of a lot of debate and personally, I believe that religion has consistently impeded moral progress. But, overall, despite this criticism, the book is a good read.