Salvation and Suicide: Jim Jones, the Peoples Temple, and Jonestown (Religion in North America)

Rating:
Summary: sanctioning the unsanctionable
Review: A well written, well researched, book that is quite engaging. My gripe with this book is that it underscores the serious moral flaw within the field of Religious Studies. When will academicians in this field stop hiding behind the mantle of epoche' in 'sanctioning' the 'unsanctionable'? Case in point - "Salvation and Suicide". Jones was evil and this writer refuses to label a spade a spade. Perhaps it is time for the field of Religious Studies to take responsibility as it ,painstakingly, de-constructs evil and puts a revionist, amoral spin on it. Will Chidester, or another, God forbid, next attempt to sanction/glorify/elevate Palestinian Homicide bombers under the morally weak excuse of epoche'? Can practitioners of epoche' recognize 'evil' even if bitten by it? I wonder about these 'enlightened' academicians' moral compass.....