Religion, Nationalism, and Terror

Religion and Violence: A Bibliography (Last updated: October 12, 2006)
Compiled by Charles K. Bellinger

[This is an expanded version of a bibliography published in The Hedgehog Review 6/1 (2004): 111-119.]

The literature on religion and violence was already substantial before the Sept. 11 attacks, and it has swelled at an increased pace since then. I have not seen abundant evidence, however, that the serious reflections on violence expressed in these books has made a noticeable impact on the shape of higher education, on news media reporting, or on the thinking of government officials around the world. This is unfortunate.

Popular opinion doesn’t reflect on the complexity of violence. We assume that violence (that is, the violence done by others) is evil, but we don’t understand it and seem to have little interest in understanding it. The authors listed below are trying to change that situation in both respects. They invite us to develop an interest in reflecting on violence and offer substantive understandings of it from their own perspectives. I foresee a time in the future when their efforts will bear fruit as a “critical mass” of interest develops and overcomes the apathy of our current situation. At that point, the ideas contained in these books will begin to have a significant impact on higher education, the media, and governmental and military decision-making.

I will append to each subsection below a short list of Library of Congress Subject Headings that will enable the reader to explore the topic further. The numbers in parentheses indicate the number of books that have been assigned that subject heading that fit the following parameters as of December, 2005: English language, published from 1980 to 2005, held by at least 50 libraries (according to WorldCat).