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from our website newsletters hodder faith christian books bibles and faith guides about hodder faith hodder faith seeks to provide a platform for christian views to be expressed across all denominations races and ages . read more see related all hodder faith books browse now see related find hodder faith on facebook like the official hodder faith facebook page . join us see related hodderfaith follow hodder faith on twitter for updates from the uk s leading christian publisher . follow us see related the niv audio bible read by david suchet david suchet fulfils a 27 year ambition playpausemuteunmutefull screenrestore screen hodder & stoughton not in god s name by jonathan sacks despite predictions of continuing secularisation the twenty first century has witnessed a surge of religious extremism and violence in the name of god.in this powerful and timely book jonathan sacks explores the roots of violence and its relationship to religion focusing on the historic tensions between the three abrahamic faiths judaism christianity and islam.drawing on arguments from evolutionary psychology game theory history philosophy ethics and theology sacks shows how a tendency to violence can subvert even the most compassionate of religions . through a close reading of key biblical texts at the heart of the abrahamic faiths sacks then challenges those who claim that religion is intrinsically a cause of violence and argues that theology must become part of the solution if it is not to remain at the heart of the problem.this book is a rebuke to all those who kill in the name of the god of life wage war in the name of the god of peace hate in the name of the god of love and practise cruelty in the name of the god of compassion.for the sake of humanity and the free world the time has come for people of all faiths and none to stand together and declare not in god s name.probably britain s deepest and most interesting thinker on faith and extremism . once you get rid of a politics of fear you can build a politics of hope rabbi sacks speaking to andrew marrthe former chief rabbi lord jonathan sacks is one of the most interesting thinkers writers and speakers about today . his interventions into the public debate rarely fail to encourage thought knowledge and indeed wisdom . i suspect that this latest book will contribute a significant amount to the ferocious debates around religion and violence in our world today . there is a huge amount in the new book including much to find agreement with as well as some things i am sure some readers will want to push back on.to that end next week he is publishing not in god s name confronting religious violence his first book since standing down in 2013 as chief rabbi after 22 years in office . it is no use he says hoping the problem will go away or relying on our political leaders in the west to sort it out.lord sacks is unmistakably a man on a mission and he is sure that there is plenty we can do if we find the will . i m optimistic in the sense that when i speak to young muslims they are hungry for rising to the challenge of religion bringing reconciliation not violence among people . they have incredible idealism . and he adds as a final thought befitting of one whose voice is so familiar on radio 4 s thought for the day i happen to believe in divine providence . god sends problems and god sends solutionsjonathan sacks can t be accused of shirking the big issues . in his latest book not in god s name the former chief rabbi considers a subject that believers of all faiths have a huge difficulty explaining why do so many insist on advancing their belief in god as a justification for violence it is as the briefest survey of the headlines will confirm a timely inquiry . sacks unsurprisingly rejects the suggestion that religion itself is what causes the problem though he does believe that if it is to be solved theology must play a part . only one national leader in the islamic world has said what needs to be said . egypt s president sisi called in january for a religious revolution led by his country s senior clergy only to be labelled a heretic on twitter . it does not help his case that mr sisi s ruthless jailing of thousands of suspected islamists may only be radicalising thousands more . the responsibility of senior non political muslims is all the more serious as a result . as the former chief rabbi jonathan sacks writes in his new volume not in god s name we have little choice but to re examine the theology that leads to violent conflict in the first place . this is a powerful compelling timely book that does not deny the dark side of faith . sacks underlines that extremists create more extremists but insists that it is not too late to stop this vicious cycle.in his new book not in god s name lord jonathan sacks the former chief rabbi argues that what is needed to resolve the war of religion is better religion . false ideas about islamic beliefs should be confronted and corrected ; its essential teachings about love and peace should be embraced . likewise we might infer that the prime minister is not criticising islam but urging muslims to play a stronger role in promoting islam as it truly is . this is a courageous statement to make . but undeniably necessary.a highly respected british scholarthis book makes interesting and valuable points ... it is a case well put and worth hearingand very often radical islam offers as lord sacks told us on bbc radio 4 s sunday programme the sharpest clearest voices they are hearing . he has coined the term altruistic evil to describe the phenomenon of profoundly evil acts committed for idealistic motives . it is persuasive analysis.sacks is especially interesting on the psychological reasons for why anti semitism is continually popular . i just hope the book is read in the middle eastin his brilliant new book on religious violence not in god s name jonathan sacks identifies the challenge as altruistic evil evil committed in a sacred cause and concludes that no truth was ever proved by violence . the book tackles the thorny issue of religious violence at a time when it is prevalent across the middle east in particular.sacks tackles conflicts which claim to be committed in the name of god delving into their theological underpinning whilst searching for solutions.he drills into human nature using a range of social scientific and theological theories to identify what drives a tendency to violence and how this can be broken down . altruistic evil is a striking term coined by jonathan sacks the former chief rabbi ... in a challenging new book not in god s name ... before their radicalisation sacks notes many of those now on the battlefields were regarded by family friends and fellow students as friendly tolerant moderate people . so how can they have become so devoid of conscience as to participate in the so called islamic state s chilling acts of barbarity ... his answer is altruistic evil ... evil committed in a sacred cause in the name of high ideals . although not in god s name makes references to christian and muslim theology and exegesis rabbi sacks clarifies that he was careful in writing the book not to step outside his own faith tradition . it would just be wrong to tell christians how to do christian theology and to tell muslims how to do muslim theology he says explaining that he hoped instead to invite others to attempt similar projects in their own faiths.jonathan sacks returns as a defender of all religions . the former chief rabbi has written a new book arguing that belief in god is the solution nor the cause of global conflict.brilliantly subtle and original readings of biblical narrativesthis reading is an ingenious and often moving turning upside down of a rhetoric of chosenness . his broad vision has much to recommend it and the book is argued with erudition and passion.lord sacks calls on moderates of all faiths to defend religious freedomspeaking about not in god s name he said the greatest threat to freedom in the post modern world is radical politicised religion . it is the face of what i call in the book altruistic evil in our time . this poses a theological challenge to all three abrahamic monotheistic faiths judaism christianity and islam that forces all of us jews christians and muslims to ask the most uncomfortable questions.lord sacks erudite analysis and his suggested way forward in confronting religious violence certainly reinforced the view that the man who held office as chief rabbi for 22 years is still one of the big hitters both in the uk and on the world stagevictory ... will only be final when the west wins the battle of ideas . jonathan sacks gives us the intellectual tools to finish the job.not in god s name was named as the current hit in the bookseller.despite the fact the book took 12 years to complete it is bang up to date with references to the 2015 attack on the paris kosher supermarket after the charlie hebdo attack . long before isis was ever heard of lord sacks said he had been worried about the phenomenon of radicalisation of political islam.the need to challenge and defeat ideas which are used to justify jihadist violence is brilliantly set out in jonathan sacks s book