Rating: 
Summary: Excellent, understandable, and thought-provoking
Review: I've seen this Dr. Kimball many times since the Gulf War on CNN and other news networks as a true expert on the middle East and particularly its religions and cultures. He's articulate, clear, concise and insightful in his depictions of the topic. This book makes Dr. Kimball's comments on the three major religions come to life, and is likely to inspire some introspection for a reader of any (or none) of these three faiths.
I'm eager now to read some of his other books, and I highly recommend this one!
Rating: 
Summary: Inoffensive but incomplete.
Review: Kimball's WHEN RELIGION BECOMES EVIL argues that while true religion is all nice and good, it can sometimes get corrupted into forms that are violent and dangerous. One can tell when a religion has become corrupted by looking for these warning signs: (i) the religion claims to be the exclusive province of absolute truth; (ii) the religion demands blind obedience to a leader; (iii) the religion attempts to bring about the apocalypse in order to pave the way for utopia; (iv) the religion argues that the ends justifies any means; (v) the religion promotes holy war.While I believe these are all good indicators of trouble to come, and also believe Kimball did a good job of discussing and fitting case examples to them, I do not feel Kimball succeeded in establishing that forms of religion that display these indicators are "corruptions" of "true" religion. Instead, he appears virtually to assume that of course true religion is peaceful and progressive, so any deviation must be a corruption. But such an assumption is not obvious to me. For all I can tell from what Kimball has written, ultra-fundamentalists have just as much claim to be honoring "true" religion as do liberals, even though I appreciate the liberal position more. Perhaps I am wrong in this assessment, but either way, I would have liked to see Kimball offer far more argument for his contrary views.
Rating:
Summary: Accessible and well reasoned : an excellent book
Review: The publication of Charles Kimball's book comes a time when the world is on full alert and grappling with the phenomonon of terrorism. Though the current wave of fanaticism sweeping the Muslim world may be the motivating factor behind this latest publication, the premise of Kimball's book is far wider in its reach as he demonstrates how evil throughout the ages has been perpertrated in the name of God and religion. The Five Warning Signs he discusses at length are so basic and obvious they're almost commonsensical. Through much of it, you may even wonder why such a book needs to be written. To anyone who feels this way, my advice is to hang in there. Chapter 7 ("An Inclusive Faith Rooted In A Tradition") alone is worth the price of the book. Kimball's treatise that all men follow their "spiritual compass" in their quest for God (or the Truth) is the nugget at the heart of the book. It is conceivable that some Christians may feel uncomfortable with Kimball's ecumenical conclusions, but that's too bad 'cos it's the only convincing way of making sense of our multireligious world. "When Religion Becomes Evil : Five Warning Signs" is an excellent book, well written and accessible, and one that deserves to find a wide readership.
Rating:
Summary: Scholarly yet accessable
Review: This book does an excellent job demonstrating how any religion can become evil. While there is nothing new about this idea, the author's take is refreshing in that it is scholarly while at the same time accessable to the average reader. Perhaps most importantly, he is able to talk about instances of religion-inspired evil without trashing the religion involved. His analysis includes Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Judaism, and Hinduism, although his primary focus is on Christianity and Islam. I suspect that some deeply religious readers will be put off by the title, but any misgivings they have will likely disappear when and if they read the book. It is even-handed (though I would have preferred he spend a bit more time including examples from Judaism) and respectful of each of the religious traditions covered in the book. The book includes a number of contemporary examples, but is enriched by the author's extensive knowledge of history. This is a book that everyone should read.
Rating: 
Summary: Pointless...
Review: This book is just another piece of trash by some crackpot author who's trying (unsuccessfuly) to impress people. I would recommend you keep this book by your toilet...in case you run out of toilet paper.
Rating:
Summary: Just means are necessary for just ends
Review: This is a magnificent book. There are some typos and minor errors, such as the repeated misspelling of Hal Lindsey's name, but that is understandable for a first edition. There is quite a lot to ponder and savor within its relatively brief length (213 mid-sized pages) and it makes its points and justifies them while remaining easy-to-read. It explains the core tendencies that corrupt religion and provides a clarion call for more inclusive, honest, and dynamic religion in this new century. A valid criticism that was raised by another reader is Dr. Kimball's use of the term "authentic" (which means genuine, real, true, undoubted, unquestionable, factual, verifiable) for his sort of religion. That assumes that all religious expression that he disagrees with is "inauthentic." One may argue that one type of religion is better than another in certain specific ways, as the author has, but that does not mean that bad religion is inauthentic. Bad religion is as real as good religion, just as bad politics are as real as good politics. Using the term authentic provides a temptation to use it as a copout. When someone criticizes the bad use of religion, an apologist could reply, "Well, that is not 'authentic' religion. Only good religion is true religion," thus making criticism of religion impossible, because any ills will be brushed aside as "inauthentic" and not due to religion at all. I prefer Dr. Kimball's other adjectives for good religion: healthy, dynamic, honest, etc. A second valid criticism that was raised is, that while it is true that Jews, Christians, and Muslims all stem from the same root, Kimball goes overboard when he says on page 50 that "There is simply no ambiguity here. Jews, Christians, and Muslims are talking about the same deity." That is an oversimplification. While clerics in these religions are fond of saying they worship the same Abrahamic God, their conceptions of that God are different. A third criticism that has been raised is that Kimball does not address the issue of the possibility that a religion's "authentic sources" themselves may contain moral and theological errors that encourage evils. I think this ommission is understandable given the focus of the book. Kimball's book is not a comprehensive discussion of religion, but rather a discussion of the corruptions of mainline religion. Charles Kimball's five warning signs of corruption in religion:
1. Absolute truth claims
2. Blind obedience
3. Establishing the "ideal" time
4. The end justifies any means
5. Declaring holy war My five signs of integrity and dynamism in religion:
1. Dynamic and relational truth and ongoing learning
2. Critical thinking and honest inquiry
3. Making the best of every time and leaving the determination of the end time to heaven
4. Both means and end are important and linked
5. Declaring holy peace
Rating:
Summary: Provocative and accessible to a broad audience!
Review: This is a very, very good book. It can be a quick read and unlike many other books in the genre of comparative religion is accessible to a broad audience. I think almost anyone can read this book and learn something of value. I know that I did. Even though the title has the word "Evil" in it, do not take that to mean it is a denigration of religion. The author himself is an ordained minister. I think it is rather a clear warning of behaviors that can cause people to forget the true meaning of their religion and ultimately corrupt the original purpose of the belief structure. At the forefront is the first warning sign of "Absolute Truth Claims" which I think leads to the the other 4 warning signs he covers. People should not seek the cover of their faith or beliefs to stunt the pursuit of greater knowledge. The author points out the common ground of many religions in the "Golden Rule" which if adhered to would prevent the corruption of religion in the name of other causes. The Author specialized in Islamic Studies while earning his Th.D. at Harvard, so I think his interpretations of Islam are quite valuable and instructive in understanding some of the issues we confront today in the world. Again, this is an excellent book and very easy to understand. It is only a couple hundred pages long. For many readers, I think the several hours you will invest into reading this book will be well worth it.
Rating:
Summary: Provocative and accessible to a broad audience!
Review: This is a very, very good book. It can be a quick read and unlike many other books in the genre of comparative religion is accessible to a broad audience. I think almost anyone can read this book and learn something of value. I know that I did. Even though the title has the word "Evil" in it, do not take that to mean it is a denigration of religion. The author himself is an ordained minister. I think it is rather a clear warning of behaviors that can cause people to forget the true meaning of their religion and ultimately corrupt the original purpose of the belief structure. At the forefront is the first warning sign of "Absolute Truth Claims" which I think leads to the the other 4 warning signs he covers. People should not seek the cover of their faith or beliefs to stunt the pursuit of greater knowledge. The author points out the common ground of many religions in the "Golden Rule" which if adhered to would prevent the corruption of religion in the name of other causes. The Author specialized in Islamic Studies while earning his Th.D. at Harvard, so I think his interpretations of Islam are quite valuable and instructive in understanding some of the issues we confront today in the world. Again, this is an excellent book and very easy to understand. It is only a couple hundred pages long. For many readers, I think the several hours you will invest into reading this book will be well worth it.
Rating:
Summary: Slippery slope of Fundamentalism
Review: This is an excellent book... reviewing the dangers of Fundamentalism in the 3 monotheistic religions and a couple of others. I highly recommend!
Rating: 
Summary: Almost there
Review: When Religion Becomes Evil is an erudite and well written work. This book is a fast read. This is not a historical delineation such as something that Karen Armstrong would write (if you have never read one of her books, I highly recommend that you do). It contains some history but also asks and answers the question, How do we avoid corruption in religion? And, in general, I agree with the conclusion. However, I do take some exceptions with the conclusion. The major basis of religious problems and corruptions has been laid out by Mr. Kimball. But, I feel that there was some room for betterment in the work. For instance, there is little said about pious people's constant need to feel persecuted thereby fabricating martyrs within the faith. In my opinion, this is yet another reason that corruption of faith starts. I also find it a bit platitudinous to simplify the problem to getting back to the roots of the religion's foundation. When a religion is based on sacrament, as the three major conflicted religions are, and that sacrament claims itself as the infallible and singular word of god, a great many followers are going to become zealots. Until we escape the tradition and myth that is religion, this will always be the case. There is no hope for the Arm of God. And, just as Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson and local exclusionist pastors will always have a major hold over the flock, the Middle East is always going to see exclusionist and zealous leaders come to power who will have enough of a following that is willing to do the deeds of hate. That does not mean that the work of Kimball and others in the Middle East is futile. But, the oversimplified ideal of getting back to the roots is a far more complex and exhaustive effort than I believe is reasonably brought to fruition in any foreseeable future. With that said, this is a strong book that all should read. As one that no longer has any religious convictions (except that religion holds no empirical answers to the question of death), all I can really do is nod as I read his book. The people that really need this understanding are the most zealous religious advocates. Unfortunately, I can hear any pastor I ever studied under when I called myself a Christian preaching to his flock that Mr. Kimball's book is one that is heretical and not deserving of study. Interestingly, this reality is evidence of one of Mr. Kimball's postulated tenants of why religion becomes evil in the first place. I highly recommend this book.
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