I had a difficult time deciding on my rating and review of this book because it is a little dated, (I read this book in late 2022), and because I am somewhat ignorant about some of the topics discussed.

I almost quit after "MYTHS OF TERRORISM" but I am glad I persevered. The subjects discussed were more relevant to my interests as the book progressed.

Having read numerous books by Western Christian authors it was both a challenge and a joy to be introduced to Vinoth Ramachandra who is from Sri Lanka. ( )

Vinoth Ramachandra is a Sri Lankan nuclear engineer, cum Anglican theologian, worker for a Christian student movement, and human rights activist. In this book he launches a full broadside against the “myths” that inform and motivate the ruling classes and society in general in our globalised world. While his arguments are grounded in Christian theology, this book is not primarily for theologians. Rather, it seeks to engage with all who are influenced by these myths.

By “myth”, Ramachandra means the “public, large-scale narratives [that] engage our imaginations and shape the way we experience the world.” (from the dusk jacket). He takes aim at myths of terrorism, religious violence, human rights, multiculturalism, science, and postcolonialism. Not that he argues that these subjects are myths in themselves but, rather, that the dominant beliefs of the globalised, liberal West believes about these subjeects may not be so.

As well as his Christian faith, Ramachandra’s perspective is informed by not being born in the West. Many of his examples are drawn from Asia and, especially, the Indian subcontinent, which is a refreshing change of perspective from the obsessions of the West. This gives him a unique position to critque Western attitudes to the rest of the world, as well as non-Western leaders and academics.

Although the book has a broad structure, this is no carefully worked-out argument. Ramachandra is an activist, not a theorist. The book punches rather than plods. Although replete with many examples and wonderful quotes, a little more theory and theology might have been nice. In the end I was left in broad agreement with his criticisms (I need to go back and take some notes), but unsure about the way forward. ( )