Not in God’s Name
Confronting Religious Violence
A rabbi reads the Abrahamic faiths for the roots of religious violence, and for the case against it.
Sacks asks why religions that preach peace so often produce violence, and locates the answer in sibling rivalry, the fear that God’s blessing is scarce and must be taken from a brother. He rereads the Genesis narratives of Isaac and Ishmael, Jacob and Esau, to argue the opposite, and addresses the argument to all three Abrahamic faiths.
Recommended by 1 Person
David Miliband
Jonathan Sacks explains the roots of this dual identity of religion, its ability to unite, its ability to separate. He looks at the three Abrahamic faiths and tries to diagnose why they have been such a source of conflict and what can be done about it. It’s an extremely erudite book. I’m not a religious person myself, so it was an education for me, but it’s also quite inspiring.
Interview · May 2016
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