Book Reviews

These books have been reviewed on Restorative Justice Online.

Harris, Scott. Book Review: Evil and the Justice of God

The book Evil and the Justice of God invites Christians and others to take another look at how we define and respond to evil. This article is an excerpt of a longer review written by Scott Harris. A link to the full review is included.

Wright, Martin. Book Review: Charting progress, mapping the future: restorative justice in South Africa.

This book, reviewed by Martin Wright, discusses the history and present status of restorative justice in South Africa.

Packer, Ian. Book Review: The Little Book of Biblical Justice: A Fresh Approach to the Bible’s Teachings on Justice, by Chris Marshall.Good Books, 2005.

Packer reviews this highly accesible book on biblical principles of justice.

Wright, Martin. "Book Review: The Handbook of Victim Offender Mediation: An Essential Guide to Practice. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. ISBN 0-7879-5491-8."

Wright reviews The Handbook of Victim Offender Mediation: An Essential Guide to Practice by Mark Umbreit.

Book Review: Handbook of Restorative Justice

The international restorative justice movement continues expanding in scope of practice and scholarship making it almost impossible to keep up with the existing literature. Chris Marshall reviews this collection of new essays covering virtually every aspect of the worldwide phenomenon of restorative justice.

Book Review: Victims of crime and community justice

In his recent book, Brian Williams gives an account of the current state of assistance to victims in the United Kingdom, with comparisons to developments abroad. The book also includes a helpful discussion of the development of victim assistance over the past three decades. Here is Martin Wright's review of the book.

Book Review: New directions in restorative justice: issues, practice, evaluation.

As the restorative justice movement ages, it continues to face issues of application and implementation. Martin Wright reviews this collection of essays addressing restorative justice and youth, aboriginal justice, and victims.

Book Review: Understanding Victims and Restorative Justice

Although restorative justice claims to include all those affected by wrongdoing in responding to crime, it has been criticized as being too offender focused. In this book, restorative justice is viewed through a victim-focused lens.

Book Review: Will the Circle Be Unbroken? Aboriginal Communities, Restorative Justice and the Challenges of Conflict and Change

Many restorative justice activists point to similarities between traditional indigenous justice philosophies and restorative justice. This book explores these similarities, the idea of community in restorative justice and the use of such practices with indigenous communities by western criminal justice systems.

Book Review: Mapping restorative justice: Developments in 25 European countries

Restorative justice is growing in practice and popularity in Europe. This book compares practices in 25 countries including information on the legal base, scope, implementaion, evaluation, contact addresses and published material concerning the country's programmes.

Book Review: Correctional Ethics

Prison administration raises several ethical issues including the meaning of punishment, the treatment of offenders, and staff management. Margarita Zernova reviews this anthology dealing with the complexity of problems involved in prison management, the controversies and divisions within the area, the ethical issues inherent in the administration of prison, and challenges presented by alternatives including restorative justice.

Book Review: Honest Patriots: Loving a Country Enough to Remember its Misdeeds

This book explores the importance of truth-telling and collective responsibility of citizens to address the wrongdoings of their nations past and address the negative consequences still being felt from them. This is described as a true patriotism.

Book Review: The Healing of Nations: The Promise and Limits of Political Forgiveness

Mark Amstutz argues that forgiveness, when rooted in restorative justice, is not confined to personal morality but can promote healing and renewal in social and political life, thereby fostering a more just, humane, and stable political order.

Book Review: Burying the Past: Making Peace and Doing Justice After Civil Conflict

Issues of justice and peace haunt countries emerging from or struggling with violent conflict. This volume of essays explores issues of forgiveness, remembering the past, restorative justice and transitional justice.

Book Review: Restorative justice on the college campus: Promoting student growth and responsibility, and reawakening the spirit of campus community

Restorative interventions are gaining popularity as a discipline alternative on college campuses. Gregory Strong reviews this collection of essays discussing the implementation of restorative practices on the college campus.

Book Review: Governing Paradoxes of Restorative Justice

Martin Wright reviews this book exploring issues such as the power dynamics between restorative justice and the systems that fund and regulate it, whether victims are empowered or disempowered in their recovery by participating in restorative processes, whether broader social conditions are addressed adequately, and whether the community can serve the purposes given in restorative justice theory.

Book Review: Crime: changing society and the churches

Martin Wright explains why Christians and non-Christians should read TJ Gorringe's theological critique of Western criminal justice practice.

Book Review: Facing Violence: The Path of Restorative Justice and Dialogue

Gregory Strong reviews this book exploring the use of victim offender mediation in cases of violence.

Book Review: Rethinking sentencing: a contribution to the debate

Martin Wright reviews this collection of essays discussing the reality of imprisonment as punishment, restorative justice, and the role of the Church in criminal justice reform.

Book Review: Political forgiveness: Lessons from South Africa

Gregory Strong reviews this book exploring the meaning of forgiveness and reconciliation in national conflicts.