A New Paradigm for Understanding Violence? Testing the Limits of Lonnie Athens's Theory

Abstract

There is a burgeoning literature on the aetiology, performance and consequences of violence. Research straddles a variety of disciplines including law, sociology, psychology, anthropology, criminology, military history and theology. The 'violentization theory' of Lonnie Athens is seldom encountered in the literature, although it provides an interesting way of re-framing traditional questions about violence as a process. This article serves as a critical introduction to violentization and draws on a range of source material not usually found in criminological research to test the limits of Athens's approach.