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Just War And Jihad: Violence in Judaism, Christianity, And Islam
The articles collected in this volume represent the independent and considered thinking of internationally known scholars from a variety of disciplines concerning the relationship between religion and violence, with special reference to the theories of "just war" and "jihad," technical terms that arise in connection with the theology of early medieval Christianity and early Islam, respectively.
The contributors include Hector Avalos, Charles K. Bellinger, Bahar Davary, Carol Delaney, J. Harold Ellens, Reuven Firestone, R. Joseph Hoffmann, Judith Lichtenberg, Pauletta Otis, Gabriel Palmer-Fernandez, Laura Purdy, Joyce E. Salisbury, Regina M. Schwartz, and Robert B. Tapp.
In the present global and political climate, the significant conversation about why religions provoke conflict and whether any religion is truly "harmless" cannot be ignored.
The contributors include Hector Avalos, Charles K. Bellinger, Bahar Davary, Carol Delaney, J. Harold Ellens, Reuven Firestone, R. Joseph Hoffmann, Judith Lichtenberg, Pauletta Otis, Gabriel Palmer-Fernandez, Laura Purdy, Joyce E. Salisbury, Regina M. Schwartz, and Robert B. Tapp.
In the present global and political climate, the significant conversation about why religions provoke conflict and whether any religion is truly "harmless" cannot be ignored.
303 pages, Hardcover
First published January 2, 2006
About the author
R. Joseph Hoffmann
14 books46 followersFollowing graduation from Harvard Divinity School (M.Div. Th.M.) and the University of Oxford (D.Phil.), R. Joseph Hoffmann was tutor in Greek at Keble College and Senior Scholar at St Cross College, Oxford, and Wissenschaftlicher Assistent in Patristics and Classical Studies at the University of Heidelberg. He received the degree Dr. habil. from Heidelberg in 1983.
He began his teaching career at the University of Michigan as Assistant Professor of Near Eastern Studies where he developed the undergraduate and graduate program in Christian origins.
From 1991 to 1999, he was Senior Lecturer in New Testament and Church History at Westminster College, Oxford and a member of the sub-faculty of Oriental Studies in Christian origins.
Hoffmann has also taught at Cal State Sacramento, the American University of Beirut and Wells College, where he was Campbell Professor of Religion and Human Values until 2006 and Distinguished Scholar at Goddard College in 2009.
He has held visiting positions at universities in Africa (Malawi, Zimbabwe, and Botswana), the Middle East, the Pacific (Australia and Papua New Guinea) and South Asia, most recently as Visiting Professor of History at LUMS in Lahore, Pakistan.
He is now Professor of the Liberal Arts at the University of Central Asia.
Beyond academe, he is well known for his advocacy of the humanist tradition. He was Chair of the Committee for the Scientific Examination of Religion until 2010, a senior vice president of the Center for Inquiry until 2008 and a founding faculty member (1986) of the Humanist Institute. In his recent work, Hoffmann has turned increasingly to the work of ”humanist restoration”–a project designed to reconsider the richness of the humanist legacy in the arts and sciences apart from recent attempts to emphasize the purely rationalistic and naturalistic varieties of humanism that emerged in the late twentieth century.
Hoffmann has focused on the controversial aspects of Christian origins, with special reference to early heresies, gnosticism, and the pagan philosophical critiques of the Christian movement. His most recent books include an edited volume entitled Just War and Jihad: Violence in Judaism, Christianity and Islam (2006) and Sources of the Jesus Tradition (2010.)
His study of the concept of the right to life in early Christianity, Faith and Foeticide, will be published in 2014, along with another in his series of translations of the classical philosophical critiques of the Christian movement: Christianity: The Minor Critics.
He began his teaching career at the University of Michigan as Assistant Professor of Near Eastern Studies where he developed the undergraduate and graduate program in Christian origins.
From 1991 to 1999, he was Senior Lecturer in New Testament and Church History at Westminster College, Oxford and a member of the sub-faculty of Oriental Studies in Christian origins.
Hoffmann has also taught at Cal State Sacramento, the American University of Beirut and Wells College, where he was Campbell Professor of Religion and Human Values until 2006 and Distinguished Scholar at Goddard College in 2009.
He has held visiting positions at universities in Africa (Malawi, Zimbabwe, and Botswana), the Middle East, the Pacific (Australia and Papua New Guinea) and South Asia, most recently as Visiting Professor of History at LUMS in Lahore, Pakistan.
He is now Professor of the Liberal Arts at the University of Central Asia.
Beyond academe, he is well known for his advocacy of the humanist tradition. He was Chair of the Committee for the Scientific Examination of Religion until 2010, a senior vice president of the Center for Inquiry until 2008 and a founding faculty member (1986) of the Humanist Institute. In his recent work, Hoffmann has turned increasingly to the work of ”humanist restoration”–a project designed to reconsider the richness of the humanist legacy in the arts and sciences apart from recent attempts to emphasize the purely rationalistic and naturalistic varieties of humanism that emerged in the late twentieth century.
Hoffmann has focused on the controversial aspects of Christian origins, with special reference to early heresies, gnosticism, and the pagan philosophical critiques of the Christian movement. His most recent books include an edited volume entitled Just War and Jihad: Violence in Judaism, Christianity and Islam (2006) and Sources of the Jesus Tradition (2010.)
His study of the concept of the right to life in early Christianity, Faith and Foeticide, will be published in 2014, along with another in his series of translations of the classical philosophical critiques of the Christian movement: Christianity: The Minor Critics.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 27, 2018
This is a thoughtful compilation of various essays from well established academic contributors. Many of the 15 contributions reiterate the same point and several of the authors are members of the same organization - The Committee for the Scientific Examination of Religion, or the CSER. The general emphasis and deductions drawn are left of center politically. While certain approach the topic with lucidity and restraint others adopt a less interesting, less informative pacifist rhetoric.
There are some very useful historical insights examined notably those that were developed by Augustine, Aquinas, Grotius, Suarez and Vitoria.
On the negative side, while the title spoke clearly of Jihad, the chapters failed to adequately address the topic of Islamic theoterrorism. This tends to be the unfortunate repercussion of liberal academic reflection--a failure to recognize the elephant in the room and adopt apologist relativism.
In fact, it was largely Christianity, Judaism, Capitalism (And even a swat at the Buddhists),which garnered the most negative criticism. It is worth bearing in mind, however, that it is not the Methodists, the Mormons or the reformed Jews blowing themselves (and other who are innocent) to pieces and preaching restrictive 7th century ideology.
Conclusion, while the book is worthy in its presentation of material the collection fails to fully address the problem of religion -war -and unjustified violence.
The Final paragraph of the final chapter by Laura Purdy, is an unfortunate ending to an otherwise interesting text. She finds herself forced to attack Ann Coulter as a hawk, yet with the self-same vengeance displayed by those she abhors.
There are some very useful historical insights examined notably those that were developed by Augustine, Aquinas, Grotius, Suarez and Vitoria.
On the negative side, while the title spoke clearly of Jihad, the chapters failed to adequately address the topic of Islamic theoterrorism. This tends to be the unfortunate repercussion of liberal academic reflection--a failure to recognize the elephant in the room and adopt apologist relativism.
In fact, it was largely Christianity, Judaism, Capitalism (And even a swat at the Buddhists),which garnered the most negative criticism. It is worth bearing in mind, however, that it is not the Methodists, the Mormons or the reformed Jews blowing themselves (and other who are innocent) to pieces and preaching restrictive 7th century ideology.
Conclusion, while the book is worthy in its presentation of material the collection fails to fully address the problem of religion -war -and unjustified violence.
The Final paragraph of the final chapter by Laura Purdy, is an unfortunate ending to an otherwise interesting text. She finds herself forced to attack Ann Coulter as a hawk, yet with the self-same vengeance displayed by those she abhors.
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September 23, 2010"The Just War and Jihad: Violence in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam by R. Joseph Hoffmann (2006)"
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews