Deliver Us from Evil

The papers in this brilliant volume come from a three-year study by Boston University on aspects of evil. Eckel (religion, Boston University) and Herling (religious studies, Marymount Manhattan College) have selected experts from several disciplines to approach the topic. They look at traditional Western definitions of evil as found in Dante and St. Augustine as well as Eastern attempts to understand it in Buddhism and Hinduism. Some authors address the modern tendency to rationalize evil acts as the result of insanity, drug abuse or misguided patriotism. The case of one of the Columbine shooters is given as an example of a person who cannot be justified in this way. The book is divided into three stages: religious ways of explaining evil, philosophical responses and perhaps, methods for ameliorating or even transmuting evil. The work of philosopher Hannah Arendt is cited in several places, reminding the reader of her belief that evil can be the passive heedlessness of consequences as well as active violence. Each article exposes a different facet of this eternal problem from ancient texts to tomorrow's news. Annotation c2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)