Reviewed for The Edmonton Journal, Edmonton, AB. Olenka Melnyk, Interim Books Editor, Sept. 17th, 2003.

Reviewed for the Toronto Star, Toronto, ON. Libby Stephens, Religion and Body & Soul Editor. October 14, 2002.

WHEN RELIGION BECOMES EVIL by Charles Kimball, Harper SanFrancisco: Toronto, ON. 2002. 192 pages. Hardcover. $32.95 Cdn. ISBN 0-06-050653-9.

Reviewed by: Wayne A. Holst

"Religion is arguably the most powerful and pervasive force on earth," writes Charles Kimball, author of When Religion Becomes Evil. But religion is quite obviously a mixed blessing. "The record of history shows that noble acts of love, self sacrifice, and service to others are frequently rooted in deeply held religious worldviews. At the same time, history clearly shows that religion has often been linked directly to the worst examples of human behaviour."

The author introduces his well-reasoned and focused study with an intriguing chapter on religion as both problem and possibility. While the author is very honest about the negative aspects or religion, he is also a firm believer in the great good it can accomplish. Backed by thirty years as a student and first-hand observer of the great faiths in places around the world, Kimball presents his views with an awareness of history and the contemporary situation. He writes with the practical experience gained as a political consultant and religious executive working for the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA. More recently, he has been teaching world religions at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. At the core of the b"k the author describes, in consecutive chapters, five signs that reflect the corruption of religion. These must be recognized, named and dealt with effectively if, in fact, the religion wherein they appear is to avoid becoming exactly the opposite of what that faith tradition represents at its best.

Belying his early Southern Baptist roots (while still claiming, like Jimmy Carter, to be a Baptist in the South) Kimball has come to believe that it is possible to have integrity as a person of faith - a Christian, a Hindu, a Jew, a Muslim, a Buddhist - and at the same time recognize that oneOs own experience of God does not exhaust all the possibilities. Along with world religion specialist Wilfred Cantwell Smith, the author want to see people of all the great faiths moving from"we/they"posturing to a"we/all"- an"us together"position.

Our's is a dangerous world where religion is at the heart of what matters to the vast majority of people. Kimball would like to help his readers accentuate religion's constructive potential by offering them not so much a set road map as a compass to point the way.

To do that, he first outlines the religious red flags. These are: the making of absolute truth claims; demanding blind obedience to authority; claiming to know the mind of God and the ideal time for GodOs intervention in human affairs; allowing ends to justify means; and declaring holy war.

When zealous adherents elevate the teachings and beliefs of their tradition to the level of absolute truth, they open the d"r to the probability that their religion has become evil. In 1980, Rev. Bailey Smith, president of the Southern Baptist Convention, made the statement, quickly picked up by the media, that God does not hear the prayers of the Jews. He defended his position as a hard fact taught by the scriptures. Smith backed himself into a corner by presuming to declare what God can and cannot do. Kimball believes that a little clear thinking, honesty, and humility could go far toward tempering such bold truth claims by authority figures with easy media access.

Blind obedience was demanded by the founder and leader of the Japanese Aum Shinrikyo cult, Asahara Shoko. Asahara gained world attention when devoted followers simultaneously released deadly nerve gas in sixteen Tokyo subway stations in March of 1995. For a decade previous, this charismatic leader whose eclectic teachings drew valuable insights from Buddhism, Hinduism and Christianity, drew his idealistic followers into a web of unquestioning devotion to his apocalyptic vision. Beware of religious movements that limit the intellectual freedom and individual integrity of adherents, says the author. "Doctrinal positions supporting otherwise unethical behaviour must always be challenged."

When religious leaders see their battle in the cosmic terms of good versus evil and when religious reconstructionists take it upon themselves to speak for God and the appointed time of God's earthly interventions, Kimball sees danger ahead. Most Muslims reject the violent extremism of the Taliban in Afghanistan and the global network of al-quiada terrorists. Yet, many followers of Islam share the economic and political frustrations that fuel such movements. When most avenues for change appear to be blocked, reactionaries teach that to be a martyr and to kill for their cause is a noble way to inaugurate GodOs kingdom on earth and to receive the blessings of the world to come.

When a religious establishment comes to believe that its self-preservation is more important than the abuses it allows to be perpetrated, Kimball believes that the principle of the end justifying the means has taken effect. This, quite obviously, was the policy at work when, for the past several decades, American Catholic bishops turned a blind eye to pedophile priests and a deaf ear to their victims. The years of coverup will almost certainly do more damage to the credibility of the church than might have resulted from an honest, transparent admission of guilt. This is but one dramatic example among many. The Israeli/Palestinian conflict could be debated on similar terms.

"...more wars have been waged, more people killed and more evil perpetuated in the name of religion than by any other institutional force in human history." Kimball asserts that declaring war "holy" is a sure sign of corrupt religion. That is true whether the war is initiated by Christians (for example, the crusades against Islam) or by Muslims (in their jihads against the West). The author demonstrates impartially that neither crusades nor jihads can be justified as holy wars. Christians, Muslims and other religious warriors must look deeply into their respective traditions to see how their own basic beliefs are contradicted by such practices.

In a hope-filled final chapter on inclusive faith rooted in sound tradition, Kimball outlines his arguments for next steps in dealing with the shadow side of religion. He helps the reader understand how to remain true to the authentic sources of faith as a force for positive change in the world. He believes that people of faith, whatever their tradition, offer the best hope both for correcting the corruptions leading to violence and for leading the way into a more promising human future.

"All the resources needed for reform can be found at the heart of the major religious traditions," he says, "... deeply religious peacemakers provide a major source for hope."

Many individuals and organizations are working for political reconciliation and a shared future in areas such as Israel where the political fault lines are the most apparent. Ultimately, the author believes, the Isreali-Palestinian crisis will be resolved. Reason and true faith principles, in the commonly held tradition of Abraham, will triumph over the influences of currently corrupted religion.

The author writes with acumen and deep conviction. His own life journey is, in itself, a demonstration of the human capacity to move beyond the confines of baser to more noble religious awareness.

There is much here for Christians to think about. There is also much for people of the other great religions to reflect upon. Persons of religious conviction, whatever their tradition, need to get their own houses in order and join forces to make the world the place that all the faiths at their best proclaim and celebrate. _________

Reviewer's bio: Wayne A. Holst is a writer who has taught religion and culture at the University of Calgary.