title: The Gods of War: Is Religion the Primary Cause of Violent Conflict?
author:  Meic Pearse 
description: "A thought-provoking read."<br /><br />"I thoroughly enjoyed this read and can recommend it to all. Whether one agrees with his construal of Christianity or not, this informative and eloquent book provides us with important categories for entering an important debate."<br /><br />"This book is not simple a defense of Christianity and a critique of atheism and secularism. In addition to frankly recounting the many failuers of the church over the centuries, Pearse also looks at related issues, such as the question of whether it is ever right for a Christian to fight. Pearse says both pacifism and just war theory are far from ideal Christian options. Pearse reluctantly argues that a believer can legitimately fight, but only for secular causes, not for the Christian faith."<br /><br />"Essential reading for those caught up in the new war about, not of, religion."
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  PROLOGUE  
  
  
  
  
  
  IN THE BEGINNING, THE WORLD WAS MADE OF beauty and of magick. Before there
  were humans, there were gods and those who served them and did their bidding
  whatever their bidding was. At war with each other, the gods fought among
  themselves until a new breed was born out of their senseless violence.
  Chthonians by name, these new creatures came from the earth that flowed red
  with the blood of the gods.
  
  
  
  
  
  The Chthonians rose up and divided the world between the gods—they split the
  world among themselves.
  
  
  
  
  
  To maintain the peace, the soldiers of the gods were ordered to be put down.
  None were to survive. Chthonian law took pre ce dence and together they were
  able to bring peace to the world once more and to protect the new life-form of
  mankind.
  
  
  
  
  
  But the Chthonians were not without corruption. Nor were they infallible. It
  wasn't long before they bickered, too. And so time moved forward. Mankind
  matured and learned to dismiss the gods and the magic