This book examines the origins of violence, how groups of people attempt to control violence, and the meaning of sacrifice. It also draws attention to the blindness of oppressors. Readers think about Jesus as a victim of violence; he offered his life to transform human violence into love. When readers reflect on the God that Jesus proclaimed in his life, death, and resurrection, they are empowered to respond more clearly to the violence in and around them.

God in a World of Violence consists of six sessions; each session is designed to fit a one-and-a-half to two-hour time frame. A suggested time schedule appears in the front of the book. Session titles are as follows: God and the World of Violence; Understanding the Origins of Violence; Understanding Order and Disorder; Recognizing the Victim; Jesus and the End of Sacrifice; and To Be a Peacemaker.