In the Name of God

April 1, 2020
Eye-opening journey through the history of persecution among the Abrahamic religions. In this sprawling examination of "the histories of tolerance and equality, from the time when the Roman Empire became Christian to the genocides of the twentieth century," writer and documentarian O'Grady walks readers through numerous bloody centuries and guilty civilizations. Though the author, who admittedly approaches her subject from a Western liberal perspective, purports to write a history of tolerance, it is clear that tolerance has always been lacking in the joint history of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In some ways, however, that serves O'Grady's overarching point, which is that tolerance itself is no virtue. "No one wants to be tolerated," she writes. "What we all want is not to be tolerated but to be treated as equals." As the author chronicles, tolerance has turned to hate in many frightening ways. In each of the roughly chronological chapters (beginning with an account of Diocletian, who reigned from 284 to 305 and was "pagan Rome's most savage prosecutor of Christians"), O'Grady showcases one example of persecution after another: the formation of suppressed groups in early Islam, the Crusades, the Christian persecution of heretics, the Inquisition and expulsion of the Jews, the Jewish Ghettos, the Protestant-Catholic wars of religion, Sunni and Shiite conflict, and on and on. Many of the chapters could be books of their own, but O'Grady does a good job of keeping the narrative tight. Though the author makes clear that no religious group has innocent hands, she does take pains to suggest that Muslims have had the most tolerant history when compared to Christians--and Jews have rarely had the opportunity to show tolerance at all. Ultimately, she writes, humanity should stop valuing tolerance because tolerance is still a reflection of superiority. Instead, we must strive for the virtues of "liberty, equality, and solidarity." A depressing yet thought-provoking look at faith's many great failures. (16 pages of color photos, timeline)

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Starred review from April 20, 2020
Documentary producer O’Grady (And Man Created God) presents a dazzling, lucid history of evolving, tenuous religious toleration. Starting with the Roman Empire and the beginnings of Islam, O’Grady shows how toleration was a pragmatic decision to consolidate power among diverse populations and conquered territories but collapsed when the subordinated began to threaten those in power. Tension between religious empires or nation states pervaded the Middle Ages as both Christians and Muslims fought heresy and launched holy wars against each other. Throughout the Dark Ages, O’Grady highlights how Muslims tended to be more tolerant of Jews, while Christians vacillated between relying on Jews for financing and violently massacring or expelling them, notably following the Black Death. The Reformation’s wars and the 16th-century Sunni-Shiite conflict show how both faiths fractured and struggled with toleration. After discussing the diminished and reshaped role of God in politics during the American and French Revolutions, O’Grady describes the rapid, chaos-inducing Islamic Enlightenment and modernization sparked by the French invasion of Egypt in 1798. She ends with the rise of nationalism instead of religion as a unifier, arguing that the the Armenian genocide and the Holocaust were largely a product of this realignment. This perceptive, masterly history will change how many readers think about toleration and the supposed clash between Christian and Muslim worlds.

April 17, 2020

Documentary film producer O'Grady (And Man Created God) proposes that religious tolerance and intolerance are related rather than opposite human reactions, as both respond to ideas that one finds bothersome or threatening. To this, the author adds that religion and politics are inextricably linked, and no monotheistic religion brooks rivals. These themes drive this sweeping history of monotheistic religion on individual and group behavior, particularly as it relates to Christians and Muslims, and their treatment of Jews, from the first century CE to the mid-20th century. O'Grady argues that minority or disenfranchised religious groups are tolerated by the religious majority, seen as inferiors to the extent that they are considered useful. Should these groups be seen as menacing, or some social crisis occur, intolerance and persecution set in. This slide from tolerance to intolerance and back can be seen with both Christians and Muslims, contends the author. VERDICT A worthwhile read for secular liberals wishing to advocate for mutual respect and open-mindedness among various religious groups.--James Wetherbee, Wingate Univ. Libs., NC

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May 1, 2020
O'Grady's work will fascinate anyone wishing to plunge into the histories of Western Christianity and Euro-proximate Islam. Her focus is religious intolerance as performed by followers of both religions, and the idea that what all parties want is not tolerance, but equality. Tolerance, as she defines it, involves one party with more power that practices tolerance over the other, weaker party. Equality dissolves that power imbalance. With this in mind, she traces the histories of both concepts (in semi-broad strokes) from the Roman Empire to the twentieth century, ending just after WWII. She treads the narrow path between being mired in minutiae and grandly sweeping through events, and instead provides enlightening, entertaining stories while including key events for both Christianity and Islam. Roger Williams, the American founder of Rhode Island, walks across the same pages as Shah Ismail I and Robespierre. While its density might make casual readers quail, fans of history, religion, or ideas will revel in the comparative study of these two faiths, long kept apart in history books, whose pasts are inextricably intertwined.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)