Guided by the Faith of Christ: Seeking to Stop Violence and Scapegoating

Though many people believe that humanity is doomed to be mired in violence, Kaufman argues that the Judeo-Christian offers a path toward peaceful, harmonious coexistence between humans and the rest of creation, including animals. The book first analyzes the sources of human violence and scapegoating and then compares insights from the social sciences to the biblical accounts. In pursuit of self-esteem, humans often find themselves in conflict with each other, and they often relieve these conflicts by blaming one or more scapegoats. But such scapegoating is unjust, and it is only a temporary solution to a recurrent human problem. The antidote, Kaufman argues, involves adopting the faith of Christ. Despite institutional Christianity s often tragic history of violence, Kaufman asserts that the Bible supports the notion that God is loving, compassionate, and merciful. Finally, Kaufman applies the book s principles to modern social issues, with often surprising results. In particular, Kaufman shows how the rise of humanism has led to humans scapegoating animals rather than other humans. This is not only morally wrong; Kaufman shows that countenancing the victimization of any vulnerable individuals actually puts everyone at risk.