Sanctified Aggression allies itself neither with the easy assumption that religions are by definition violent (and that only the secular/humanist/humane can offer a place of refuge from the ravages of religious authority) nor with the equally facile opposing view that religion expresses the "best" of human aspirations and that this best is always capable of diffusing or sublating the worst. Rather, it works from the premise that biblical, Jewish and Christian vocabularies continue to resonate, inspire and misfire. Some of the essays here explore how these vocabularies and symbols have influenced, or resonate with, events such as the massacre of Jews in Jedwabne, Poland (1941), the Rwandan Massacre (1994), the tragedy at Columbine High School (1999) and the emergence of the "Phineas Priesthood" of white supremacists in North America. Other contributors examine how themes of martyrology, sacrifice and the messianic continue to circulate and mutate in literature, music, drama and film. The collective conclusion is that it is not possible to control biblical and religious violence by simply identifying canonical trouble-spots, then fencing them off with barbed wire or holding peace summits around them. Nor is it always possible to draw clear lines between problem and non-problem texts, witnesses and perpetrators, victims and aggressors or "reality" and "art".

This volume explores multiple dimensions of prophetic texts and their violent rhetoric, providing a rich and engaging discussion of violent images not only in prophetic texts and in ancient Near Eastern art but also in modern film and receptions of prophetic texts. The volume addresses questions that are at once ancient and distressingly-modern: What do violent images do to us? Do they encourage violent behavior and/or provide an alternative to actual violence? How do depictions of violence define boundaries between and within communities? What readers can and should readers make of the disturbing rhetoric of violent prophets? Contributors include Corrine Carvahlo, Cynthia Chapman, Chris Franke, Bob Haak, Mary Mills, Julia O'Brien, Kathleen O'Connor, Carolyn Sharp, Yvonne Sherwood, and Daniel Smith-Christopher.

"This rich and engaging book looks at instances of sanctified violence, the holy wars related to religion. It covers it all, from ancient to present day, including examples of warfare among Sikhs, Hindus and Buddhists, as well as Christians, Jews and Muslims. It is a comprehensive and readable overview that provides a lively introduction to the subject of holy war in its broadest sense—as ‘sanctified violence’ in the service of a god or ideology. It is certain to be a useful companion in the classroom, and a boon to anyone fascinated by the dark attraction of religion and violence." —Mark Juergensmeyer, University of California, Santa Barbara Contents: Introduction: What Is Holy War? Chapter 1: Holy Wars in Mythic Time, Holy Wars as Metaphor, Holy Wars as RitualChapter 2: Holy Wars of Conquest in the Name of a DeityChapter 3: Holy Wars in Defense of the SacredChapter 4: Holy Wars in Anticipation of the Millennium Epilogue: Holy Wars Today and Tomorrow Also included are a description of the Critical Themes in World History series, Preface, index, and suggestions for further reading.

This book focuses on oath-making narratives in the Iliad, through which it articulates a theory of ritualized violence.

What is hatred? How does it differ from rage? What are its origins? Is hatred ever rational? Why are some people unable to let go of it while others are completely incapable of feeling it? Eight distinguished psychoanalysts provide the answers to these and other related questions in this tightly organized volume. With the help of clinical vignettes and literary portrayals, these experienced therapists address the emergence of hatred in the clinical situation. They highlight the various purposes served by the patient's hatred including drive discharge, projective identification, defense against dependence, anchoring of identity, and self holding. They also present a rich understanding of the hatred felt by the therapist vis-...-vis hateful and chronically self-destructive individuals. Finally, they discuss the technical implications of these concepts and delineate useful interventions to contain, manage, and interpret the patient's intense hatred. The matters discussed in this book are diverse and include infant observation, gender differences, child abuse, severe character pathology, multiple personality, countertransference difficulties, literary characters, racial prejudice, ethnic hatred, and war. The focus of the book, however, remains clinical. Its ultimate aim is to enhance the clinician's ability to deal with the hatred felt by the patient, and, at times, by the therapist.

Is it a sin for Christians to be angry? After all, didn’t Jesus teach his disciples to forgive unconditionally? Rev. Dr. Maggie Low answers both of these questions with a resounding “No!” Debunking unhealthy assumptions about anger and forgiveness, God, I’m Angry! lays the groundwork for a biblical understanding of righteous anger, conditional forgiveness, and unconditional love. Low thoroughly engages both Old Testament and New Testament texts to demonstrate that biblical forgiveness is always reliant upon repentance. Examining the psalms of vengeance in their original context, she also establishes that there is such a thing as a healthy, and holy, expression of anger – a way to “do anger” with God that makes space for healing and restored relationship. Alongside profound theological insight, this book provides a step-by-step guide for application in pastoral counselling contexts and includes real life examples from Low’s extensive ministry experience. It is a source of practical wisdom for spiritual and emotional growth towards freedom, wholeness, and fullness of life.

Focusing on the three monotheistic religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, Douglas Pratt argues that despite a popular focus on Islam, extremist Jews and Christians can also enact terror and destruction. Religion and Extremism stresses that the ideological rejection of diversity underlies religious extremism resulting in violent behaviours and, increasingly, in hardening social and religious attitudes and responses. An analysis of religiously-driven terrorism reveals the presence of a distinctive and rigid form of exclusivity found in these religions. In this regard, the contemporary resurgence in totalising claims of fundamentalist ideologues is cause for particular concern. Pratt reasons that however expressed, the motif of the 'Absolute' is central to all, but how that absolute is and has been received, interpreted and responded to, is a matter of great diversity. The author asserts that theological 'Absolutism' displays an underlying dynamic whereby these three religions may be led into extremism. Religion and Extremism also explores contemporary issues of Islamophobia and mutual extremism, identified as 'reactive co-radicalization', and concludes by reflecting on how extremism today might be countered.