Rev. of Trialogue and Terror: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam after 9/11

Reviews the book, Trialogue and Terror: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam after 9/11 edited by Alan Berger (2012). It is truly a complicated and solemn proposition. But what seems clear is that a critical component or starting point for any such discussion today is the 9/11 terror attacks, while the solution must include the promotion of interfaith dialogue. The book accepts the challenge by analyzing the role of religion in modern society and the connections and contentions that exist between religion and violence. Accordingly, the goal of this worthy book is to explore possible courses of action including, most importantly, how to foster genuine interfaith dialogue. One of the strengths of the book is the quality and diversity of the contributors. The contributors to the book not only call for interfaith dialogue, but themselves represent interfaith dialogue in practice. Indeed, the fact that the contributors and editor have experience in facilitating interfaith dialogue and scholarship. Several contributors point to the need to understand that there has been a romanticized notion of religious cooperation as well as a false sense that the problems we face are somehow completely new. The book makes a case that religion remains relevant in the post-modern world. It has served as a basis for justifying hate and war, and will likely continue to do so. The book is deeply meaningful, well-written collection of essays that should both inform and inspire. It issues a compelling call for interfaith dialogue in a way that will undoubtedly serve as a guide for scholars and religious leaders alike. But it is also written to be accessible for a general readership. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)