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Full Description
Though much has been written about particular forms of violence related to religion, such as sacrificial rites and militant martyrdom, there have been few efforts to survey the phenomena in all of the world's major religious traditions, historically and in the present, viewing the subject in personal as well as social dimensions, and covering both literary themes and political conflicts. This compact collection of essays provides such an overview. Each of the essays explores the ways in which violence is justified within the literary and theological foundation of the tradition, how it is used symbolically and in ritual practice, and how social acts of vengeance and warfare have been justified by religious ideas.
The nature of the connection between violence and faith has always been a topic of heated debate, especially as acts of violence performed in the name of religion have erupted onto the global stage. Some scholars argue that these acts of violence are not really religious at all, but symptomatic of other elements of society or human nature. Others however point to the fact that often the perpetrators of these acts cite the faith's own foundational texts as their inspiration-and that the occurrence of violence in the name of religion exists across all faith traditions. Is violence, then, the rare exception in religious traditions or is it one of the rules? The contributors to this volume explore many possible approaches to this question and myriad others. How is religion defined? Must a religion be centered on supernatural beings? Does the term refer to social behavior or private? Is dogma or practice the key to its essence? Is it a philosophical system or a poetic structure? And how should violence be defined? From whose perspective and at what point is an act to be deemed violent? What act cannot be construed as violent in some way? For instance, are we talking only about war and genocide, or psychological coercion, social restrictions and binding categorizations?
Collectively, the essays in this volume reflect the complex and contested meanings of both religion and violence, providing overviews of engagements with violence in Hindu, Buddhist, Chinese, Sikh, Jewish, Christian, Islamic, African, and Pacific Island religious traditions. By shedding light on the intersection of violence with faith, this volume does much to expand the understanding of the nature of religion itself, and the diverse forms it may take.
Contents
Introduction
"The Enduring Relationship of Religion and Violence"
Mark Juergensmeyer, Margo Kitts and Michael Jerryson
1. Hinduism
"Violence and Nonviolence at the Heart of Hindu Ethics"
Veena Das
2. Buddhism
"Buddhist Traditions and Violence"
Michael Jerryson
3. Sikhism
"Sikhs and Violence"
Cynthia Keppley Mahmood
4. Judaism
"Religion and Violence in the Jewish Tradition"
Ron Hassner and Gideon Aran
5. Christianity
"Religion and Violence in Christianity"
Lloyd Steffen
6. Islam
"Muslim Engagement with Injustice and Violence"
Bruce Lawrence
7. Africa
"African Traditional Religion and Violence"
Nathalie Wlodarczyk
8. Pacific Islands
"Religion and Violence in Pacific Island Societies"
Andrew Strathern and Pamela J. Stewart
9. China
"Mutual Tolerance, State Persecution, and Martial Divinities in Chinese Religion"
Meir Shahar
Authors
Index
