Ricardo V. Sibilla’s God’s Words Earns Six Literary Awards for Its Exploration of Religious Intolerance and Violence
Recognized by multiple literary award programs, God’s Words: Preaching Peace While Justifying Violence examines sacred scripture, religious authority, and the historical relationship between faith, violence, and political power.

NEW YORK, N.Y., October 23, 2026 – God’s Words: Preaching Peace While Justifying Violence, a thought-provoking nonfiction book by Ricardo V. Sibilla, has earned six literary honors across religion, philosophy, and social sciences. The recognition brings attention to a challenging question at the heart of the book: If sacred scripture is believed to have divine origins, can it rationally justify violence?
The book’s six distinctions include the Literary Titan Gold Book Award, the New York Book Festival Runner-Up honor in the Spiritual/Religious category, the Global Book Awards 2026 Gold Medal in Politics and Social Sciences, the 2026 International Firebird Book Award, the Pencraft Best Book Award for Spring 2026 in Nonfiction Religion/Philosophy, and the Readers’ Favorite Gold Medal.
Through historical examination and interdisciplinary research, Sibilla investigates how religious teachings have influenced civilizations, shaped political authority, and sometimes been interpreted to justify intolerance. Rather than treating religious violence as an isolated historical phenomenon, he explores the complex relationship between spiritual beliefs, institutional power, and the human tendency to defend deeply rooted convictions.
God’s Words addresses questions extending beyond traditional theological discussions. Can religious literature be considered an accurate historical record? How did sacred writings develop across different periods and cultures? What happens when religious dogma conflicts with scientific observation? Can religious mythology become an instrument of political influence?
The author also examines the historical development of beliefs surrounding Jesus’s divinity, the endurance of religious institutions, and the challenges involved in confronting intolerance. These discussions encourage readers to reconsider familiar assumptions while examining the historical circumstances that shaped religious traditions.
The book has attracted attention from independent literary reviewers for its analytical approach and challenging subject matter.
Literary Titan praised Sibilla’s examination of historical power structures and religious mythmaking, highlighting the relevance of his discussion to contemporary concerns about religious extremism. Indie Reader recognized the book’s examination of how sacred texts have historically been used to justify cruelty toward nonbelievers.
Kirkus Indie acknowledged the book’s interdisciplinary research, accessible writing, and extensive eight-page bibliography, characterizing it as a well-argued examination of religion’s influence on public life.
Similarly, Readers’ Favorite reviewer Jamie Michele awarded the book five stars, recommending it to adults interested in religion, history, ethics, and the social consequences of belief systems.
For Sibilla, these recognitions represent an opportunity to introduce the book’s central questions to a wider audience. Having undertaken no previous advertising campaign, the author observed gradual improvements in Amazon sales rankings and additional reader reviews following successive award announcements.
“The questions surrounding sacred scripture and violence deserve careful examination, particularly when interpretations of religious texts influence how people treat one another,” said Ricardo V. Sibilla. “My intention is to encourage readers to explore the historical foundations of these beliefs and consider how reason, knowledge, and critical examination can help challenge religious intolerance.”
The author’s academic background informs this perspective. After completing theology studies in 1974 while pursuing a four-year social work degree, Sibilla redirected his research toward understanding the origins of religious intolerance, its evolution across civilizations, and the recurring patterns that allow it to persist.
Rather than offering simplistic answers to complex religious questions, God’s Words invites readers to examine historical evidence, question inherited interpretations, and consider the consequences of allowing religious convictions to influence public institutions and human relationships.
As discussions surrounding religious freedom, ideological conflict, and the relationship between religion and politics continue, the book presents a perspective intended to encourage critical reflection among believers, skeptics, historians, and general readers.
With six literary honors, God’s Words continues to reach audiences interested in examining the relationship between sacred traditions, historical authority, and the pursuit of a more tolerant society.
About the Book
God’s Words: Preaching Peace While Justifying Violence is a nonfiction exploration of sacred scripture, religious intolerance, and the historical connections between spiritual beliefs and political authority. Drawing on interdisciplinary research, the book examines how religious ideas develop, influence societies, and become intertwined with questions of violence, ethics, and human responsibility.
About the Author
Ricardo V. Sibilla completed theology studies in 1974 while pursuing a four-year social work degree through Catholic EDDSS, an institution associated with the Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina under Bishop Miguel Raspanti. His research subsequently focused on the historical origins of religious intolerance, its evolution across cultures, and approaches to challenging its influence.
Availability
God’s Words: Preaching Peace While Justifying Violence by Ricardo V. Sibilla is available on Amazon. Readers can explore the book, its literary recognition, customer reviews, and purchasing options through the official product listing.
Amazon: View God’s Words on Amazon
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