The War on Terrorism and the Terror of God [Hardcover]

Lee Griffith (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2002

Uniquely relevant to a world shaken by recent acts of terror, this provocative analysis of our culture of violence calls people of faith back to the way of peace that has always been the proper Christian response to aggression. / With the newspaper in one hand and the Bible in the other, Lee Griffith takes a frank look at the historical events and modern forces that contribute to terrorism. This is not a book about small guerrilla bands of terrorists nor about so-called "Islamic terrorists" - it is a cogent, open-eyed analysis of a worldwide epidemic of violence. / In a discussion that will no doubt be controversial, Griffith argues that terrorism and counter-terrorism are identical phenomena when viewed at the spiritual level. To oppose terrorism with violence acknowledges the terrorist assumption that meaningful change is only possible through suffering and fear. Likewise, terrorism and counter-terrorism both employ similar God language to justify horrendous acts of violence. This is true not only of "rogue states" but also of Western leaders who use religious language on the eve of battle. / In response to today's culture of terror, Griffith points the way to a theology of peace. He first looks at specific current events that contribute to terrorism. Next, he mines the history of the church to see how the tradition has responded to violence in the past. Finally, he probes the biblical texts for meaningful answers. The result is a stirring message for our day: rather than serving as an incitement to violence, the biblical concept of "the terror of God" stands as a renunciation of all violence - and of death itself. / Posing a radical faith for radical times, The War on Terrorism and the Terror of God is sure to generate discussion from every quarter.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Lee Griffith is a teacher, author, and social activist currently working with a community mental health program in Elmira, New York. A frequent contributor to magazines like The Other Side, Sojourners, and Brethren Life and Thought, he is also the author of The Fall of the Prison: Biblical Perspectives on Prison Abolition, chosen by Christianity Today as one of the best books of 1993. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 396 pages
• Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company; 1St Edition edition (January 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802839355
• ISBN-13: 978-0802839350
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,788,961 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Book, A Profound Book, April 15, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The War on Terrorism and the Terror of God (Hardcover)

This is the finest, most eloquent book on our current situation that I 've read, and I've read quite a few since the fall. Terrorism never works, whether it's state terrorism or non state. Legitimate grievances canot be addressed or avenged by violence.

The author makes the case that there is no biblical justification for terrorism and absolutely none for violent response to terrorism. His reading of the Bible is spot on.

Finally someone has the courage to oppose these awful wars, including the American terrorism, and tell the truth. Violence and murder are immoral and never work, even in retaliation for violence.

Read this book. Pass it on.

6 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Very Important Perspective, June 16, 2003

By 

"mikefromdetroit" (Cordova, MD USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The War on Terrorism and the Terror of God (Hardcover)

Lee Griffith presents a logical perspective that seems to have been ignored in the hysteria that has followed the events of September 11, 2001. (Interestingly Griffith wrote his book before those events.) Griffith points out that our response to terrorism has basically been to terrorize the terrorists, which forces the terrorists to just increase thier commitment to violence.
Griffith also presents an important Christian prespective that we miss far too often. We have divided the world into good and evil realms and have concluded that it is up to the realm of good to defeat the evil realm. However, Jesus never divided the world into good and evil, he saw the entire world as good, but fallen and in need of redemption.

4 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The War on Terrorism, March 5, 2006

By 

Revelation "preacher" (Raleigh,NC USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The War on Terrorism and the Terror of God (Paperback)

The book is an excellent resource concerning terrorism, which has been the concern today. It focuses on the ethics of terrorism and uses a scriptural foundation to validate reasoning. I am almost finished with this book. I am using this book as a part of our readings in a class on the Ethics and Theology of Violence in seminary.