Gods and Arms: On Religion and Armed Conflict

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This book brings together a variety of perspectives on how religion can be related to violence and war–both in a destructive and constructive way. Religion can justify and mobilize violence–even terrorism or guerilla wars–just like political ideology. But how is such a link between religion and violent behavior established in the first place? How can we go further in understanding this possible connection between religion and war? Is religious peace work just the flip side of religious support of war? Or can peace work be informed by knowing about how religion promotes violence and war? In the search for answers to the puzzle of religion and war, it is easy to focus on conflict and war situations, but maybe there is as much to learn from peace work as from war studies? Therefore, this book also analyses religious peace work from different contexts. The multifaceted presence of religion in conflict situations–whether justifying violence or promoting peace–is illustrated in this book using a variety of situations, in an enlightening panorama of one of today’s must puzzling social connections: religion and armed conflict. Contributors: R. Scott Appleby, Goran Gunner, Mariyahl Hoole, Mark Juergensmeyer, Anne Kubai, Kjell-Ake Nordquist, Jehan Perera, Jennifer Schirmer, Nari Senanayake, and Maria Smaberg.