Abstract
Author James Williams' primary objective in writing this book was to shed light on the violent structures in society, and to show how the biblical witness to the innocent victim and the God of the victims demystifies and unmasks these structures. He aims to show how the God of Scripture stands against these universal structures of violence, and unravels man's mysterious bent on rivalry and violence. Although he does it by methods of biblical interpretation unacceptable to evangelicals, the author accomplishes his objectives. As a Christian, Williams argues that God enters into the picture precisely for the purpose of defending victims. Unlike sinful humans, God refuses to participate in the pathology of scapegoating. God is there to free us from our enslavement to rivalry and the violence which flows from it.