Religion and Political Violence

Religion and Political Violence PDF Author: Jennifer L. Jefferis
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1135248311
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 222

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Book Description
This book uses the theory of social movements and first-hand interviews to create a new analysis of religiously motivated political violence in the modern world. Examining the movement to restore Sharia law to a dominant place in the Egyptian government, the movement to make abortion illegal in the United States, and the religious effort to secure territory in Israel, the author contends that religion becomes violent not because of ideology or political context alone, but because of the constantly evolving relationship between them. The ebb and flow of opportunities for political access ensures that secularization and religion, although polar opposites, depend on each other to define themselves. As a result, while their respective degrees of influence will inevitably undulate over time, both will remain a part of the political process for some time. Thus, a full understanding of both is critical to a meaningful understanding of the political process. Much work has been done to understand secular social movements as part of the political process, and consequentially researchers now know a great deal about the motivations, resources and timing of secular social movements. Considerably less research has been done in the field of religious social movements and this book fills that gap in the literature. This book will be of great interest to students of political violence, religion, sociology, and Politics and International Relations in general. Jennifer Jefferis is Assistant Professor in the Department of Government, Regent University, USA, and has a PhD in Political Science from Boston University.

Martyrdom and the Politics of Religion

Martyrdom and the Politics of Religion PDF Author: Anna L. Peterson
Publisher: SUNY Press
ISBN: 9780791431825
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 240

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Book Description
Martyrdom and the Politics of Religion explores the ways that Salvadoran Catholics sought to make sense of political violence in their country in the 1970s and 1980s by constructing a theological ethics that could both explain repression in religious terms and propose specific responses to violence. Drawing on extensive fieldwork, the book highlights the ways that progressive Catholicism offered a justification and tools for political resistance in the face of extraordinary destruction. Using the case of Catholicism in El Salvador, the book explores the nature of religious responses to social crisis and the ways that ordinary believers construct and strive to live by ethical systems. By highlighting the importance of theological belief, of narrative, and of religious rationality in political mobilization, it touches questions of general interest to readers concerned with the social role of religion and ethics.

Religion and Violence

Religion and Violence PDF Author: Hent de Vries
Publisher: JHU Press
ISBN: 9780801867675
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 480

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Book Description
Religion and Violence: Philosophical Perspectives from Kant to Derrida's careful posing of such questions and rearticulations pioneers new modalities for systematic engagement with religion and philosophy alike.--Arthur Bradley "Year's Work in Critical and Cultural Theory"

How Violence Shapes Religion

How Violence Shapes Religion PDF Author: Ziya Meral
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1108429009
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 229

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Book Description
Religion and violence are intrinsic to the human story. By tracing their roots in human experience, Meral reveals that it is violence that shapes religion.

The Oxford Handbook of Religion and Violence

The Oxford Handbook of Religion and Violence PDF Author: Mark Juergensmeyer
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0190270098
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 670

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Book Description
Violence has always played a part in the religious imagination, from symbols and myths to legendary battles, from colossal wars to the theater of terrorism. The Oxford Handbook of Religion and Violence surveys intersections between religion and violence throughout history and around the world. The forty original essays in this volume include overviews of major religious traditions, showing how violence is justified within the literary and theological foundations of the tradition, how it is used symbolically and in ritual practice, and how social acts of violence and warfare have been justified by religious ideas. The essays also examine patterns and themes relating to religious violence, such as sacrifice and martyrdom, which are explored in cross-disciplinary or regional analyses; and offer major analytic approaches, from literary to social scientific studies. The contributors to this volume--innovative thinkers who are forging new directions in theory and analysis related to religion and violence--provide novel insights into this important field of studies. By mapping out the whole field of religion and violence, The Oxford Handbook of Religion and Violence will prove an authoritative source for students and scholars for years to come.

Political Violence in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam

Political Violence in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam PDF Author: Jonathan Fine
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1442247568
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 275

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Book Description
Religious political violence is by no means a new phenomenon, yet there are critical differences between the various historical instances of such violence and its more current permutations. Since the mid-1970s, religious fundamentalist movements have been seeking to influence world order by participating in local political systems. For example, Islamic fundamentalism is at the heart of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, the Christian fundamental right wing has seen a resurgence in Europe, and Jewish fundamentalism is behind the actions of Meir Kahane’s Kach movement and the settler movement. The shift in recent years from secular to religious political violence necessitates a reevaluation of contemporary political violence and of the concept of religious violence. This text analyzes the evolution of religious political violence, in both historical and contemporary perspectives. Since religious political violent events are usually associated with the term “terrorism,” the book first analyzes the origins of this controversial term and its religious manifestations. It then outlines and highlights the differences between secular and religious political violence, on ideological, strategic, and tactical levels before comparing the concept of Holy War in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Lastly, it shows how modern radical monotheistic religious groups interpret and manipulate their religious sources and ideas to advocate their political agendas, including the practice of violence. A unique comparative study of religious political violence across Judaism, Islam, and Christianity, this text features many international case studies from the Crusades to the Arab Spring.

Understanding Religious Violence

Understanding Religious Violence PDF Author: James Dingley
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
ISBN: 9783030405359
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 228

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Book Description
This book addresses the problem of religiously based conflict and violence via six case studies. It stresses particularly the structural and relational aspects of religion as providing a sense of order and a networked structure that enables people to pursue quite prosaic and earthly concerns. The book examines how such concerns link material and spiritual salvation into a holy alliance. As such, whilst the religions concerned may be different, they address the same problems and provide similar explanations for meaning, success, and failure in life. Each author has conducted their own field-work in the religiously based conflict regions they discuss, and together the collection offers perspectives from a variety of different national backgrounds and disciplines.

Hamas in Politics

Hamas in Politics PDF Author: Jeroen Gunning
Publisher: Hurst Publishers
ISBN: 1805261533
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 434

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Book Description
In January 2006, Hamas, an organisation classified by Western governments as terrorist, was democratically elected to govern the Palestinian territories. The inherent contradictions in this situation have left many analysts at a loss. Hamas uses terror tactics against Israel, yet runs on a law and order ticket in Palestinian elections; it pursues an Islamic state, yet holds internal elections; it campaigns for shar'iah law, yet its leaders are predominantly secular professionals; it calls for the destruction of Israel, yet has reluctantly agreed to honour previous peace agreements. In "Hamas in Politics", Jeroen Gunning challenges the assumption that religion, violence and democracy are inherently incompatible and shows how many of these apparent contradictions flow from the interaction between Hamas' ideology, its local constituency and the nature of politics in Israel/Palestine. Drawing on interviews with members of Hamas and its critics, and a decade of close observation of the group, he offers a penetrating analysis of Hamas' own understanding of its ideology and in particular the tension between its dual commitment to 'God' and 'the people'. The book explores what Hamas' political practice says about its attitude towards democracy, religion and violence, providing a unique examination of the movement's internal organisation, how its leaders are selected and how decisions are made.

Religious Responses to Violence

Religious Responses to Violence PDF Author: Alexander Wilde
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780268044312
Category : Church and social problems
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
These essays explore the impact of religion and politics on human rights and violence in contemporary Latin America.

Violence in God's Name

Violence in God's Name PDF Author: Oliver J. McTernan
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 224

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Book Description
A timely exploration of the links between religious faith and global violence--and how to break them.

Religion, Violence and Political Mobilisation in South Asia

Religion, Violence and Political Mobilisation in South Asia PDF Author: Ravinder Kaur
Publisher: SAGE
ISBN: 0761934308
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 228

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Book Description
An oft-neglected theme in studies on communal violence is the role of the state, particularly of its institutions of law enforcement and policing. Recent experience with religion-based violence in South Asia—particularly, the 2002 riots in Gujarat—has brought into sharp focus this relationship between communal violence and partisan state institutions. The seven essays in this anthology—written by eminent authors from diverse traditions of anthropology, history, politics and sociology—critically re-examine the symbolism, scale and nature of communal violence in South Asia in view of the state’s changing image. Moving beyond cliched explanations of riots, the contributors: - Map the contemporary discourse on Hindu-Muslim violence and focus on the causes of communal violence as well as its long-term consequences - Situate the nation-state within the incidents of violence—variously termed ethnic, communal and everyday violence—that simultaneously frame and challenge the authority of the state - Locate the current discussion on violence and the state in Pakistan, and provide a general thematic overview of religion and state institutions in Pakistan - Expand various categories of violence to present a South Asian perspective vis-a-vis the current western discourse on `global terrorism`