Christian Faith and the Truth Behind 9/11: A Call to Reflection and Action [Paperback]

David Ray Griffin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 21, 2006

Probing disturbing questions that beg for a response from the Christian community, distinguished scholar of religion and popular writer David Ray Griffin provides a hard-hitting analysis of the official accounts of the events of September 11, 2001. A tireless investigator, Griffin has sorted through enormous amounts of government and independent data and brought to the surface some very unsettling inconsistencies about what really happened. In this, his latest book, he analyzes the evidence on 9/11 and then explores a distinctively Christian perspective on these issues, taking seriously what we know about Jesus' life, death, and teachings. Drawing a parallel between the Roman Empire of antiquity and the American Empire of today, he applies Jesus' teachings to the current political administration, and he explores how Christian churches, as a community intending to be an incarnation of the divine, can and should respond.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

"WARNING: If, like most Americans calling themselves Christian, you prefer the comfort of acquiescing to the official version of 9/11 and the imperial wars it facilitated, DROP THIS BOOK NOW. But if you are open to the grace of honest inquiry and the risk of following the historical Jesus in confronting the evils of empire, this rigorously argued book is a MUST READ."

—Ray McGovern, CIA veteran analyst now with Tell the Word, a project of the ecumenical Church of the Saviour, Washington, D.C.

"David Griffin has previously made the case for the Bush administration’s complicity in 9/11 and the cover-up of this evidence by the 9/11 Commission. Here, in this important book, he puts these shocking realities in the context of Christian theology and the challenge to the churches. In a profound exploration of the nature and history of the demonic, Griffin suggests that American empire is a culmination of human demonic alienation from God."

—Rosemary Radford Ruether, emeritus scholar, Claremont Graduate University and Claremont School of Theology

"Do American Christians want the United States to act like the New Rome, invading other countries to impose its imperial rule and its control of other peoples’ resources? That is just what the U.S. is doing, increasingly so since 9/11, explains David Griffin. In this gripping summary of evidence for the truth behind 9/11 and the 9/11 Commission report, Griffin makes a compelling case that the imperial practices of the American government have become a destructive force in the world. And he clarifies the biblical and theological basis for Christians to challenge the resurgent American imperialism that often claims divine blessing on its destructive actions."

—Richard A. Horsley, Distinguished Professor of Liberal Arts and the Study of Religion, University of Massachusetts, and author of Jesus and Empire: The Kingdom of God and the New World Disorder

"Compelling reading. Here is a remarkably thorough presentation of facts regarding 9/11 events. Professor Griffin sets the events of 9/11 in a historical, religious, and philosophical context that is most enlightening. Although this context is also somewhat chilling, he holds out hope in his discussion of where we can go from here. I most highly recommend this book!"

—Steven E. Jones, Professor of Physics, Brigham Young University

About the Author

David Ray Griffin is Professor Emeritus of Philosophy and Theology at Claremont School of Theology, Professor Emeritus of Religion at Claremont Graduate University, and Co-Founder of the Center for Process Studies. He is the author of Two Great Truths: A New Synthesis of Scientific Naturalism and Christian Faith, and coauthor, with John B. Cobb Jr., of Process Theology: An Introductory Exposition. Author of numerous books in philosophy of religion, he has also published two popular books on the World Trade Center attacks: The New Pearl Harbor: Distubing Questions About the Bush Administration and 9/11 and The 9/11 Commission Report: Omissions and Distortions.

Product Details

• Paperback: 246 pages
• Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press (July 21, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0664231179
• ISBN-13: 978-0664231170
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (63 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #193,771 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

213 of 252 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Griffin's Best Book on 9/11, August 6, 2006

By 

Thomas C. Fletcher (Petaluma CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Christian Faith and the Truth Behind 9/11: A Call to Reflection and Action (Paperback)

"Christian Faith and the Truth Behind 9/11" is David Ray Griffin's best book on 9/11. It should be read by every American citizen.

In Chapter 1, Griffin reviews the long history of U.S. government-sponsored "false flag" operations worldwide, in which the CIA and its subordinate allied agencies in NATO and foreign governments collaborated to create the appearance of "terrorism" by killing unnumbered innocent ordinary people. The shock of the mass murders allowed passage of draconian legislation and controlled the politics of countries of special concern to U.S. interests, especially in Europe. In other words, there is extensive historical evidence that 9/11 was only the largest-scale among many comparable secret operations by the U.S..

In Chapter 2, Griffin quotes from and summarizes the extensive testimony by firefighters and other first responders at the WTC on September 11 which proves beyond any doubt that multiple bomb explosions occurred throughout both towers both before and after the buildings were struck by flying objects. Some of this testimony he has culled from news reports, but the majority of the accounts comes from newly released oral histories collected by the FDNY but suppressed until last summer by the City of New York.

In Chapter 3 Griffin demonstrates conclusively that the two towers as well as WTC 7, a 47-story steel-framed building, were brought down by controlled demolition. He exhaustively catalogues the characteristic features of controlled demolitions which were all exemplified in the collapses of the WTC buildings.

In Chapter 4 Griffin presents a streamlined overview of the many lies and distortions put out by the 9/11 Commission to "explain away" the innumerable suspicions which have arisen with respect to the flights of the hijacked airliners and the lack of standard response to them (the standdown).

In Chapter 5 Griffin concludes Part I with a demonstration that the "prima facie" case for government complicity in the mass murders established in his first two 9/11 books has now become a "conclusive" case.

In Part II Griffin shifts from presentation of evidence about what happened on that black day to the broader questions raised. In Chapter 6 he establishes an array of "imperial motives" for the "New Pearl Harbor" of 9/11, showing that from the perspective of government planners the benefits to be gained made the risks of all sorts seem insignificant. Loss of life they have no concern for, as shown in Chapter 1, and the necessary changes in society that would ensue (exemplified by the PATRIOT Act) were desirable from the standpoint of the imperial planners.

In Chapter 7 he first shows how the U.S. Empire is remarkably similar to the Roman Empire of 2000 years ago in its sense of divine authorization, its overwhelming military power, its use of terror to intimidate, its use of puppet rulers in countries under its control, and its exaction of "tribute and taxation" from subordinate populations. He then shows that Jesus of Nazareth, the central historical personage for Christians to this day, was the founder of an "anti-imperial gospel" that called upon his compatriots to resist the oppression and idolatry of the Roman Empire.

In Chapter 8 Griffin brings his many decades of philosophical and theological work on the nature of evil to attempt an explanation of the magnitude of the evil we face. He presents a concept of the "demonic" as a social force which has risen to a level capable of thwarting "divine" intentions for the world. The chapter is profound and rewarding, illuminating deep issues that are difficult to penetrate.

In Chapter 9 Griffin demonstrates that the American Empire exemplifies the most highly developed demonic force in the world today, and that 9/11 can only be understood from this perspective.

Finally, in Chapter 10, Griffin addresses fellow Christians directly, asking what "the church" can do to resist today's "Roman Empire". He concludes with suggestions for how Christian churches could engage with the demonic power of the American Empire and fight back, as Jesus clearly exhorted them to do.

In summary, Griffin has written his most original and substantial book on 9/11 to date. The specifically Christian concerns and appeals do not make the book inappropriate for non-Christians in any significant way. The book should be read by everyone.

34 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Truly excellent, and highly recommended.., December 9, 2006

By 

Anthony J. Thorne (Melbourne, Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Christian Faith and the Truth Behind 9/11: A Call to Reflection and Action (Paperback)

Certainly a unique book, this latest work by David Ray Griffin deserves a wider audience than it may possibly get. Despite evidently encompassing a majority of the American public, the 9/11 truth movement remains currently marginalised by the mainstream media. Griffin himself recently appeared on a religious-themed BBC chat show to discuss issues regarding 9/11, and had his words framed with shots of the official-story booster interviewer making `surely you can't be serious' faces throughout. There's a weird comedy involved in seeing the mainstream press attempt to paint Griffin as a kook, when even the vaguest cursory examination of factual events shows the official story to be composed of misdirection, bluster and distortion, and Griffin's work to be scrupulously thoughtful, well-researched and accurate.

Griffin's earlier THE 9/11 COMMISSION REPORT: OMISSIONS AND DISTORTIONS is a highly recommended volume as it methodically exposes the inarguable misdirection and elaborate stupidity of the official government-approved story in an easy-to-follow manner, right down to Griffin deconstructing the language used in the official report to show self-contained `blunders' or `errors' in the writing that seem deliberately placed there by the Commission Report authors to obscure weaknesses in the official story that couldn't be covered-up in any other way. (As I noted in my review of Griffin's earlier book, there are sections in the official Report that had me laughing at the gall of the Commission authors once I observed the sections that Griffin notes - read his book to see what I mean). Griffin's OMISSIONS AND DISTORTIONS volume convinced me of the pleasantly high quality of his writing, and made me receptive to following the arguments in this new book. I'm not currently that religious, so I was prepared to scratch my chin at some of the eventual theological material here, but I needn't have worried. The religious content in CHRISTIAN FAITH AND THE TRUTH BEHIND 9/11 works as background to and support for Griffin's larger argument, which is mainly occupied with critiquing the role of imperialist regimes and nations. Amid a wide-ranging discussion, Griffin notes how 9/11 is just the latest tool used by cynical, corrupt elites to bludgeon the masses towards an unwelcome destination. To my mind, non-religious people can, if they like, view the presence of theological moments in this volume (all in themselves noticeably more interesting and thoughtful than anticipated - Griffin's critical thinking remains pleasantly intact) as a poetic method to deal with the ugly, black void of immeasurable cynicism and cruelty that doubtlessly swirls inside the hearts of thuggish troublemakers like Dick Cheney. (Note - I find it genuinely unfair that my sister's faithful, intelligent and affectionate blue-heeler dog died the other day, but Dick Cheney, who has suffered multiple heart attacks and who wields with Rumsfeld and a few others much of the burden of suspicion surrounding the deep, long-term planning of the 9/11 attacks, is still going strong as I write this. See pages 460-462 of Jim Marrs' excellent THE TERROR CONSPIRACY - also available on Amazon - for guest contributor Barbara Honegger's convincing naming-of-names to get a reasonable approximation of the whole honor roll of 9/11 conspirators likely present in and around the current US government).

All up, Griffin's latest remains a solid and important book about 9/11. CHRISTIAN FAITH AND THE TRUTH BEHIND 9/11 opens with an incredibly strong summary of documented European false-flag activity, covering Gladio, the Brabant massacres, and the Counter-Guerilla attacks in Turkey (where fascist troops, at the request of the Pentagon and CIA, attacked, raped and executed innocent Kurdish villagers). Griffin also slams the US Department of State's disgusting, non-committal, face-saving `rebuttal' of their own documented involvement in those atrocities, noting how the US Government is reduced to quoting Iran / Contra conspirator Michael Ledeen and a vague, 13 year old quote from Jonathan Kwitny in THE NATION, whilst those `rebuttals' are contradicted by statements made by ex-CIA deputy director Ray Cline, among others. I'm not surprised that the US Department of State is embarrassed by its own history here, and it's easy to see why elements of the US Government are viewed with suspicion and disgust in others countries, even prior to the thoroughly vile and cynical behaviour of the current Bush administration.

Griffin then continues with the best (lengthy, interview and transcript heavy) discussion of the collapse of the WTC buildings I've yet read in print. Firefighter William Reynolds swore at his battalion chief to evacuate the north tower as "..they blew up the other one." Another firefighter, Louie Cacchioli, walked out of the later hearings in disgust when the 9/11 Commission member's aggressive distortion and slanting of his words became obvious. (The Kean / Zelikow / Hamilton cover-up here shows its true colors again as a PR whitewash more interested in reassuring the public of the validity of the Bush administration's story than conducting anything resembling an actual investigation). Griffin's gentleman tendency towards restraint and understatement allows for a memorable phrase when he notes how much of the testimony of firefighters and key eyewitnesses is "..in strong tension with the official story".

The theological section of the book isn't too long, but strikes me as the work of a man attempting to come to grips with evidence of major deceit and corruption, and using everything in his arsenal to document and attack it. Griffin makes clever analogies between the behavior of earlier Christian writers and their struggles under Imperial Rome, noting how Rome itself used terrorist-style threats and acts of aggression when it suited. There's much to digest here, and I like how Griffin keeps largely away from the dreamy, semi-fictitious elements of religious thought and towards things backed up by historical documentation, even going so far as to place some early Christian writing in the light of the economic realities of the times. I learnt a number of things here that I didn't expect to, and find myself in the position where I'd be receptive to reading an entire book by Griffin on theology, just for the unexpectedly welcome mental workout. Griffin's theological comments branch out to include discussion of philosophy and politics. He's an excellent writer and I was impressed by the depth of his thinking here.

Griffin's closing chapters return to tackling the harsh realities of the NeoCons, the Project for a New American Century and the cynical imperialist ambitions of the Bush administration in a clear and perceptive manner. As with the rest of the book, Griffin makes reference to a wide range of useful political books and articles, including, for example, Naomi Klein and accomplished anti-nuclear campaigner Helen Caldicott. Griffin makes the point that a true `global democracy', rather than the mock façade of compassion and assistance used by Bush to mask an aggressive corporate agenda, is a likely necessity if we are to survive the various forthcoming environmental crises of the 21st century.

I've only touched on some of the valuable and thought-provoking material to be found in this volume. In just a short amount of time Griffin has moved high up into my list of personal favorite writers, and he maintains that level of quality here. I'd be happy if this book was embraced by religious and non-religious people alike, as I think it definitely warrants the attention of both. This is a book I look forward to reading again.

26 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Book Hugo Chavez Should Have Held Up, September 24, 2006

By 

Enver Masud (Arlington, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Christian Faith and the Truth Behind 9/11: A Call to Reflection and Action (Paperback)

One in three Americans has serious doubts about the conspiracy theory offered by the U.S. government that 19 Arabs armed with box-cutters were responsible for the hijacking of four airplanes, and the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001.

A Scripps Howard poll found: "More than a third of the American public suspects that federal officials assisted in the 9/11 terrorist attacks or took no action to stop them so the United States could go to war in the Middle East".

Yet major news media refuse to investigate alternative hypotheses offered by dozens of independent researchers and groups. When they do report on them, they are dismissive of these hypotheses, but do not address the evidence offered.

Until last week, had I been asked where should one begin to examine the alternative hypotheses, and the vast amount of evidence available, I would have recommended "The 9/11 Commission Report: Omissions and Distortions" by David Ray Griffin, Professor of Philosophy of Religion and Theology.

Now I'm not so sure.

I have just finished reading a new book that claims, "9/11 was a 'false-flag' attack, orchestrated by forces within the U.S. government".

This attack was used, claims the author, "to launch the kind of 'clash of civilizations' that Samuel Huntington had predicted. As illustrated by the fact that all the countries on the Pentagon's hit list are predominantly Muslim, this war pits the predominantly Christian West (along with its ally Israel) against the Islamic world."

"One of the evils of this civilizational war," writes the author, "is that it has implanted in Western minds an association between 'Muslim' and 'terrorist,' so that Muslims tend to be regarded as guilty until proven innocent."

The author calls upon the church to reflect on the "truth of this thesis -- that 9/11 was a false-flag operation carried out by forces within our own government in order to advance the American empire." He urges them to reflect upon "the implication of this book's thesis" and suggests several courses of action.

For Muslim leaders, who are genuinely concerned about their community, and for all Americans, the truth about 9/11 may be the most important issue of our time.

So where should one begin to examine the alternative hypotheses, and the vast amount of evidence available?

Read "Christian Faith and the Truth Behind 9/11" by David Ray Griffin -- the book that Hugo Chavez should have held up during his speech to the United Nations General Assembly on September 20, 2006.