Marc Gopin
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195146509
- eISBN:
- 9780199834235
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195146506.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
In 1993, when Yasser Arafat and Yitzhak Rabin sealed the Oslo peace agreement, it was heralded as the beginning of a new era in the Middle East peace process. Instead, violence on both sides has ...
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In 1993, when Yasser Arafat and Yitzhak Rabin sealed the Oslo peace agreement, it was heralded as the beginning of a new era in the Middle East peace process. Instead, violence on both sides has continued to plague the region. The brutal facts on the ground have called into question the style of diplomacy that saw its greatest triumph with the Oslo Accords. This book asserts that the failure of the peace process stems in large part from its complete neglect of cultural and religious factors; attempted solutions have ignored the basic needs and values of average people. The author argues for a far greater integration of the religious communities of the region into peace‐building efforts. Drawing on his own personal experience with religion‐based peace initiatives in Israel and Palestine, he writes of the individuals and groups that are already attempting such reconciliations. He offers a detailed prescription for future negotiations using methods specifically designed to undermine the appeal of religious extremists by subtly incorporating religious values and symbols into the procedures of official and unofficial diplomacy, believing that a combination of secular and religious methods of peacemaking will yield a rich and creative model for conflict resolution. Any effort at peacemaking that fails to take into account the deep religious feelings of Muslims, Jews, and Christians is destined to fail. Only by including religion in the peace process can we move past fragile and superficial agreements and toward a deep and lasting solution. The book is arranged in two parts – Analysis, and Practical applications.Less
In 1993, when Yasser Arafat and Yitzhak Rabin sealed the Oslo peace agreement, it was heralded as the beginning of a new era in the Middle East peace process. Instead, violence on both sides has continued to plague the region. The brutal facts on the ground have called into question the style of diplomacy that saw its greatest triumph with the Oslo Accords. This book asserts that the failure of the peace process stems in large part from its complete neglect of cultural and religious factors; attempted solutions have ignored the basic needs and values of average people. The author argues for a far greater integration of the religious communities of the region into peace‐building efforts. Drawing on his own personal experience with religion‐based peace initiatives in Israel and Palestine, he writes of the individuals and groups that are already attempting such reconciliations. He offers a detailed prescription for future negotiations using methods specifically designed to undermine the appeal of religious extremists by subtly incorporating religious values and symbols into the procedures of official and unofficial diplomacy, believing that a combination of secular and religious methods of peacemaking will yield a rich and creative model for conflict resolution. Any effort at peacemaking that fails to take into account the deep religious feelings of Muslims, Jews, and Christians is destined to fail. Only by including religion in the peace process can we move past fragile and superficial agreements and toward a deep and lasting solution. The book is arranged in two parts – Analysis, and Practical applications.
Philip Jenkins
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195146165
- eISBN:
- 9780199834341
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195146166.003.0008
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
This chapter looks at how the international politics of the coming decades are likely to revolve around interfaith conflict, above all, the clash between Christianity and Islam. Across the regions ...
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This chapter looks at how the international politics of the coming decades are likely to revolve around interfaith conflict, above all, the clash between Christianity and Islam. Across the regions that will be the most populous in the twenty-first century there are already vast religious conflicts and contests in progress, although they impinge very little on Western opinion makers and the parochialism of Western public opinion is striking. Demographic projections suggest that these religious feuds will not only continue but become worse, although it is pointed out that, for various reasons, it is very difficult to obtain and project accurate numbers of the people belonging to different religions in any particular country. Nevertheless, of the world’s twenty-five largest nations, by the mid-twentieth-first century, if the current religious balance continues, nine are likely to be wholly or predominantly Muslim, eight wholly or predominantly Christian and three deeply divided between the two; it is suggested that by 2050 there could be ten of the largest nations profoundly divided between these two religions and, therefore, subject to instability as a result of inter-religious violence. The last part of the chapter considers some of the main fronts of religious conflicts, with discussion of Sudan, Egypt, Nigeria, Asia (as represented by Pakistan, Indonesia, the Philippines) and Europe, the cycles of violence in Christian–Muslim conflicts, the place of Judaism in Christian–Muslim relations, conflicts between Hinduism and Buddhism, and various possible future scenarios based on religious conflict in different countries.Less
This chapter looks at how the international politics of the coming decades are likely to revolve around interfaith conflict, above all, the clash between Christianity and Islam. Across the regions that will be the most populous in the twenty-first century there are already vast religious conflicts and contests in progress, although they impinge very little on Western opinion makers and the parochialism of Western public opinion is striking. Demographic projections suggest that these religious feuds will not only continue but become worse, although it is pointed out that, for various reasons, it is very difficult to obtain and project accurate numbers of the people belonging to different religions in any particular country. Nevertheless, of the world’s twenty-five largest nations, by the mid-twentieth-first century, if the current religious balance continues, nine are likely to be wholly or predominantly Muslim, eight wholly or predominantly Christian and three deeply divided between the two; it is suggested that by 2050 there could be ten of the largest nations profoundly divided between these two religions and, therefore, subject to instability as a result of inter-religious violence. The last part of the chapter considers some of the main fronts of religious conflicts, with discussion of Sudan, Egypt, Nigeria, Asia (as represented by Pakistan, Indonesia, the Philippines) and Europe, the cycles of violence in Christian–Muslim conflicts, the place of Judaism in Christian–Muslim relations, conflicts between Hinduism and Buddhism, and various possible future scenarios based on religious conflict in different countries.
Serhii Plokhy
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199247394
- eISBN:
- 9780191714436
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199247394.003.0004
- Subject:
- History, European Early Modern History
The Cossacks' struggle with the Ottomans helped to establish their reputation as defenders of Christianity against the Islamic threat. In the 1590s, the Cossacks were also seen first and foremost as ...
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The Cossacks' struggle with the Ottomans helped to establish their reputation as defenders of Christianity against the Islamic threat. In the 1590s, the Cossacks were also seen first and foremost as Christian warriors by the papacy itself. However, Cossackdom's position on the division of Christianity between East and West, Catholicism and Orthodoxy, especially its attitude to the initially hypothetical and then actual union of churches, remained a great unknown as the religious conflict in Ukraine grew more acute. It seems that Cossackdom needed a religion irreconcilable with the Catholic faith of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth so as to legitimise its opposition to that state and its ultimate armed uprising against it. The Cossacks also required a religious consciousness with a powerful national component in order to mobilise support for their revolts in Ruthenian society by means of religious and ethnic appeals.Less
The Cossacks' struggle with the Ottomans helped to establish their reputation as defenders of Christianity against the Islamic threat. In the 1590s, the Cossacks were also seen first and foremost as Christian warriors by the papacy itself. However, Cossackdom's position on the division of Christianity between East and West, Catholicism and Orthodoxy, especially its attitude to the initially hypothetical and then actual union of churches, remained a great unknown as the religious conflict in Ukraine grew more acute. It seems that Cossackdom needed a religion irreconcilable with the Catholic faith of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth so as to legitimise its opposition to that state and its ultimate armed uprising against it. The Cossacks also required a religious consciousness with a powerful national component in order to mobilise support for their revolts in Ruthenian society by means of religious and ethnic appeals.
Marc Gopin
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195146509
- eISBN:
- 9780199834235
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195146506.003.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
This introductory chapter highlights the role of culture and religion (which, for purposes of this book is treated as a subset of cultural phenomena) in conflict generation and peacemaking. The ...
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This introductory chapter highlights the role of culture and religion (which, for purposes of this book is treated as a subset of cultural phenomena) in conflict generation and peacemaking. The importance of cross‐religious study is also emphasized, particularly in the case of religions with very complex origins such as the Abrahamic faiths (Islam, Judaism, and Christianity) in which interrelatedness betrays the causes of rivalry and historical conflict, and the chapter also uncovers places for conflict resolution and peacemaking by discovering points of convergence. The aim of the book is to discover the deeper roots of the Middle East conflict and to apply them to the challenges and possibilities for future Palestine–Israel relations.Less
This introductory chapter highlights the role of culture and religion (which, for purposes of this book is treated as a subset of cultural phenomena) in conflict generation and peacemaking. The importance of cross‐religious study is also emphasized, particularly in the case of religions with very complex origins such as the Abrahamic faiths (Islam, Judaism, and Christianity) in which interrelatedness betrays the causes of rivalry and historical conflict, and the chapter also uncovers places for conflict resolution and peacemaking by discovering points of convergence. The aim of the book is to discover the deeper roots of the Middle East conflict and to apply them to the challenges and possibilities for future Palestine–Israel relations.
Marc Gopin
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195146509
- eISBN:
- 9780199834235
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195146506.003.0002
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
Starts with an analysis of the Abrahamic family myth (or metaphor) as treated by the three Abrahamic faiths (Islam, Judaism, and Christianity), showing how it sets the stage for mythically based ...
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Starts with an analysis of the Abrahamic family myth (or metaphor) as treated by the three Abrahamic faiths (Islam, Judaism, and Christianity), showing how it sets the stage for mythically based conflict. It goes on to discuss the use of metaphor and cultural constructs as a framework for meetings and peace negotiations between Israelis and Arabs, and then addresses street or other public encounters, and wonders whether the alienating constructs of modern city life (and Western suburban life) have a role to play in the origin of violence. The last part of the chapter wraps these approaches together in a discussion of the possibilities for Arab/Jewish reconciliation in general, and Israeli/Palestinian reconciliation, in particular.Less
Starts with an analysis of the Abrahamic family myth (or metaphor) as treated by the three Abrahamic faiths (Islam, Judaism, and Christianity), showing how it sets the stage for mythically based conflict. It goes on to discuss the use of metaphor and cultural constructs as a framework for meetings and peace negotiations between Israelis and Arabs, and then addresses street or other public encounters, and wonders whether the alienating constructs of modern city life (and Western suburban life) have a role to play in the origin of violence. The last part of the chapter wraps these approaches together in a discussion of the possibilities for Arab/Jewish reconciliation in general, and Israeli/Palestinian reconciliation, in particular.
Lucy E. C. Wooding
- Published in print:
- 2000
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198208655
- eISBN:
- 9780191678110
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198208655.003.0009
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Early Modern History, History of Religion
This book has addressed some aspects of Tudor Catholicism in order to bring to light a particular body of literature which might serve to elucidate the inner workings of Reformation thought in ...
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This book has addressed some aspects of Tudor Catholicism in order to bring to light a particular body of literature which might serve to elucidate the inner workings of Reformation thought in England. It has argued that the strength of English Catholicism should perhaps be sought, not in its traditionalism, but in its adaptability, and its capacity for regeneration. The preoccupations of modern Catholicism should no more blind us to the reforming tendencies of the Reformation Catholic Church. Instead it should be possible to discern the stirrings of Catholic Reformation in Tudor England. This was a bid for reform which pre-dated the development of Protestantism. The ideas expressed in the works studied here suggest that, in its early stages, the English Reformation was arguably as much about consensus as it was about religious conflict. The legacy of humanism was forged by Henry VIII into a body of reformist opinions on which both Catholics and Protestants were able to build.Less
This book has addressed some aspects of Tudor Catholicism in order to bring to light a particular body of literature which might serve to elucidate the inner workings of Reformation thought in England. It has argued that the strength of English Catholicism should perhaps be sought, not in its traditionalism, but in its adaptability, and its capacity for regeneration. The preoccupations of modern Catholicism should no more blind us to the reforming tendencies of the Reformation Catholic Church. Instead it should be possible to discern the stirrings of Catholic Reformation in Tudor England. This was a bid for reform which pre-dated the development of Protestantism. The ideas expressed in the works studied here suggest that, in its early stages, the English Reformation was arguably as much about consensus as it was about religious conflict. The legacy of humanism was forged by Henry VIII into a body of reformist opinions on which both Catholics and Protestants were able to build.
Serhii Plokhy
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199247394
- eISBN:
- 9780191714436
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199247394.003.0010
- Subject:
- History, European Early Modern History
Writing in 1621 about Cossack participation in the struggle against the Ottomans, Iov Boretsky said: ‘What other nations strive to win by means of words and discourses, the Cossacks accomplish with ...
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Writing in 1621 about Cossack participation in the struggle against the Ottomans, Iov Boretsky said: ‘What other nations strive to win by means of words and discourses, the Cossacks accomplish with actions themselves’. With his references to religious discourses and other peoples, Boretsky was in effect placing Ukrainian Cossackdom in the context of the broader religious conflicts of his age, and, in speaking of the Cossacks' inclination to direct action rather than words, he was implicitly referring their specific role in contemporary relations not only between Christianity and Islam but also between Orthodoxy on the one hand and the Union, Roman Catholicism, Protestantism, and Judaism on the other. This chapter examines what Orthodoxy in Kyiv and its relations with other Christian and non-Christian churches would have been like if the Cossacks of Ukraine had not become involved in the religious conflict of the late 16th and early 17th centuries.Less
Writing in 1621 about Cossack participation in the struggle against the Ottomans, Iov Boretsky said: ‘What other nations strive to win by means of words and discourses, the Cossacks accomplish with actions themselves’. With his references to religious discourses and other peoples, Boretsky was in effect placing Ukrainian Cossackdom in the context of the broader religious conflicts of his age, and, in speaking of the Cossacks' inclination to direct action rather than words, he was implicitly referring their specific role in contemporary relations not only between Christianity and Islam but also between Orthodoxy on the one hand and the Union, Roman Catholicism, Protestantism, and Judaism on the other. This chapter examines what Orthodoxy in Kyiv and its relations with other Christian and non-Christian churches would have been like if the Cossacks of Ukraine had not become involved in the religious conflict of the late 16th and early 17th centuries.
Axel Michaels
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- May 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195343021
- eISBN:
- 9780199866984
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195343021.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Hinduism
The book deals with festivals and rituals at the Nepalese Paśupatnātha Temple located in Deopatan, the City of (all) Gods, and the Paśupatikṣetra, the “Field of Paśupati.” Paśupati, a form of Śiva, ...
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The book deals with festivals and rituals at the Nepalese Paśupatnātha Temple located in Deopatan, the City of (all) Gods, and the Paśupatikṣetra, the “Field of Paśupati.” Paśupati, a form of Śiva, is regarded as the tutelary and protective deity of Nepal and his temple as both national and sacred monument that has since many centuries attracted thousands of pilgrims from India. After introducing the temple, its history, organisation and vicinity, all major festivals connected to it are thoroughly described and examined. The material used by the author includes mythological and eulogising texts, chronicles, inscriptions and elaborate field‐work studies. The book also deals with religious conflicts between different forms of Hinduism as well as with religious identities and contested priesthood. Due to the strength of various tantrically worshipped goddesses in Deopatan, Śiva comes under ritual pressure time and again. Underlining this religious tension are fundamental conflicts between the indigenous Newar population and the Nepali speaking population which originally immigrated from India or between the South Indian Bhaṭṭa priests and the Newar Karmācārya priests. Moreover, ritual forms of worship are contested, as in the instance of tantric forms of worship with alcohol and animal sacrifices versus pure, vegetarian forms of worship. In recent times these conflicts have increasingly been politicized and due to the impact of the World Heritage Monument policy the Paśupati area is successively restructured and shaped into a religious pilgrimage place for Indian and Western tourists.Less
The book deals with festivals and rituals at the Nepalese Paśupatnātha Temple located in Deopatan, the City of (all) Gods, and the Paśupatikṣetra, the “Field of Paśupati.” Paśupati, a form of Śiva, is regarded as the tutelary and protective deity of Nepal and his temple as both national and sacred monument that has since many centuries attracted thousands of pilgrims from India. After introducing the temple, its history, organisation and vicinity, all major festivals connected to it are thoroughly described and examined. The material used by the author includes mythological and eulogising texts, chronicles, inscriptions and elaborate field‐work studies. The book also deals with religious conflicts between different forms of Hinduism as well as with religious identities and contested priesthood. Due to the strength of various tantrically worshipped goddesses in Deopatan, Śiva comes under ritual pressure time and again. Underlining this religious tension are fundamental conflicts between the indigenous Newar population and the Nepali speaking population which originally immigrated from India or between the South Indian Bhaṭṭa priests and the Newar Karmācārya priests. Moreover, ritual forms of worship are contested, as in the instance of tantric forms of worship with alcohol and animal sacrifices versus pure, vegetarian forms of worship. In recent times these conflicts have increasingly been politicized and due to the impact of the World Heritage Monument policy the Paśupati area is successively restructured and shaped into a religious pilgrimage place for Indian and Western tourists.
Regina Pörtner
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199246151
- eISBN:
- 9780191715228
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199246151.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, European Medieval History
This is an account of religious belief and conflict in the strategically important province of Inner Austria between 1580 and 1630. It shows how Protestantisation in the first half of the 16th ...
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This is an account of religious belief and conflict in the strategically important province of Inner Austria between 1580 and 1630. It shows how Protestantisation in the first half of the 16th century was linked to communication with the Protestants of the rest of the Empire, and to the failure of ecclesiastical reform in the church province of Salzburg, of which Styria formed part. The Protestant success of 1578, however, proved deceptive because it lacked constitutional substance, and was defended by an inherently weak union of the Inner Austrian estates. The book analyses the aims, achievements, and shortcomings of the Habsburgs' confessional crusade in Styria, showing how although the progress of Protestantisation was reversed, the Counter-Reformation left an ambivalent legacy to the modern Austrian state.Less
This is an account of religious belief and conflict in the strategically important province of Inner Austria between 1580 and 1630. It shows how Protestantisation in the first half of the 16th century was linked to communication with the Protestants of the rest of the Empire, and to the failure of ecclesiastical reform in the church province of Salzburg, of which Styria formed part. The Protestant success of 1578, however, proved deceptive because it lacked constitutional substance, and was defended by an inherently weak union of the Inner Austrian estates. The book analyses the aims, achievements, and shortcomings of the Habsburgs' confessional crusade in Styria, showing how although the progress of Protestantisation was reversed, the Counter-Reformation left an ambivalent legacy to the modern Austrian state.
Douglas Johnston
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195367935
- eISBN:
- 9780199851805
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195367935.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
For most of the twentieth century, the most critical concerns of national security have been balance-of-power politics and the global arms race. The religious conflicts of this era and the motives ...
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For most of the twentieth century, the most critical concerns of national security have been balance-of-power politics and the global arms race. The religious conflicts of this era and the motives behind them, however, demand a radical break with this tradition. Such situations call for a long-term strategy of cultural engagement and an understanding of how others view the world. In non-Western cultures, religion is a primary motivation for political actions. Historically dismissed by Western policymakers as a divisive influence, religion has significant potential for overcoming the obstacles and conflict. This book looks at five intractable conflicts and explores the possibility of drawing on religion as a force for peace. It builds upon the insights of Religion, the Missing Dimension of Statecraft (OUP, 1994) — which examined the role that religious or spiritual factors can play in preventing or resolving conflict — while achieving social change based on justice and reconciliation.Less
For most of the twentieth century, the most critical concerns of national security have been balance-of-power politics and the global arms race. The religious conflicts of this era and the motives behind them, however, demand a radical break with this tradition. Such situations call for a long-term strategy of cultural engagement and an understanding of how others view the world. In non-Western cultures, religion is a primary motivation for political actions. Historically dismissed by Western policymakers as a divisive influence, religion has significant potential for overcoming the obstacles and conflict. This book looks at five intractable conflicts and explores the possibility of drawing on religion as a force for peace. It builds upon the insights of Religion, the Missing Dimension of Statecraft (OUP, 1994) — which examined the role that religious or spiritual factors can play in preventing or resolving conflict — while achieving social change based on justice and reconciliation.
Anshu Malhotra
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780198078012
- eISBN:
- 9780199080984
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198078012.003.0036
- Subject:
- History, Indian History
This chapter explores the devotional world of the Gulabdasi panth, a nineteenth century sect of Punjab, through varied interpretations of Gulabdas’ life, and by reading the writings of one of his ...
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This chapter explores the devotional world of the Gulabdasi panth, a nineteenth century sect of Punjab, through varied interpretations of Gulabdas’ life, and by reading the writings of one of his followers, Piro. Piro, a Muslim prostitute of Lahore who came to live in the Gulabdasi establishment, portrayed her story as embedded in Hindu-Muslim dissension. At the same time the theology, cultural expression and social practice of the Gulabdasis indicated a plethora of influences on them: monism of Vedanta via Sikh ascetic sects; bhakti literary and devotional practices; Sufi emotional states and philosophical ideas. The chapter examines the significance of deploying a term like syncretism to understand the theological equivalences and cultural conversations between different religious traditions of Punjab. They suggests that religious conflict, as highlighted by Piro in her personal tale, did not negate pluralistic attitudes, and could even reveal shared ethics and cultural values.Less
This chapter explores the devotional world of the Gulabdasi panth, a nineteenth century sect of Punjab, through varied interpretations of Gulabdas’ life, and by reading the writings of one of his followers, Piro. Piro, a Muslim prostitute of Lahore who came to live in the Gulabdasi establishment, portrayed her story as embedded in Hindu-Muslim dissension. At the same time the theology, cultural expression and social practice of the Gulabdasis indicated a plethora of influences on them: monism of Vedanta via Sikh ascetic sects; bhakti literary and devotional practices; Sufi emotional states and philosophical ideas. The chapter examines the significance of deploying a term like syncretism to understand the theological equivalences and cultural conversations between different religious traditions of Punjab. They suggests that religious conflict, as highlighted by Piro in her personal tale, did not negate pluralistic attitudes, and could even reveal shared ethics and cultural values.
Sudipta Kaviraj
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- September 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780231170802
- eISBN:
- 9780231541015
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Columbia University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7312/columbia/9780231170802.003.0007
- Subject:
- Religion, Religious Studies
This essay relates Taylor’s thesis to arguments in Indian history over the relationship of religious diversity to conflict and strategies of accommodation in premodern and modern times.
This essay relates Taylor’s thesis to arguments in Indian history over the relationship of religious diversity to conflict and strategies of accommodation in premodern and modern times.
Christopher R. Duncan
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- August 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780801451584
- eISBN:
- 9780801469107
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Cornell University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7591/cornell/9780801451584.003.0001
- Subject:
- Anthropology, Social and Cultural Anthropology
This chapter sets out the book's purpose, which is to explore how the people of the Indonesian province of North Maluku experienced communal violence as a religious conflict, and continue to remember ...
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This chapter sets out the book's purpose, which is to explore how the people of the Indonesian province of North Maluku experienced communal violence as a religious conflict, and continue to remember it that way into the present. Whether it is in their narratives of the violence or the way they commemorated it, the focus on religious fault lines overwhelmed, or at least overshadowed, other understandings of the 1999–2000 conflict. The remainder of the chapter discusses the need to move beyond causation and chronology when studying communal violence in Indonesia; how North Moluccans managed memories of the violence; the ethnography of communal conflict in Indonesia; and fieldwork and data gathering for the present study. An overview of the subsequent chapters is also presented.Less
This chapter sets out the book's purpose, which is to explore how the people of the Indonesian province of North Maluku experienced communal violence as a religious conflict, and continue to remember it that way into the present. Whether it is in their narratives of the violence or the way they commemorated it, the focus on religious fault lines overwhelmed, or at least overshadowed, other understandings of the 1999–2000 conflict. The remainder of the chapter discusses the need to move beyond causation and chronology when studying communal violence in Indonesia; how North Moluccans managed memories of the violence; the ethnography of communal conflict in Indonesia; and fieldwork and data gathering for the present study. An overview of the subsequent chapters is also presented.
John Tolan, Gilles Veinstein, and Henry Laurens
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691147055
- eISBN:
- 9781400844753
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691147055.003.0003
- Subject:
- History, World Medieval History
This chapter is devoted to the development of the concepts of jihad, Crusade, and reconquista. It shows that, in both Christian and Muslim territories, ideologies of holy war were often used to ...
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This chapter is devoted to the development of the concepts of jihad, Crusade, and reconquista. It shows that, in both Christian and Muslim territories, ideologies of holy war were often used to justify conquest of the “infidels.” These ideologies glorified war waged for the “true” religion but rarely ruled out political and military alliances with princes belonging to rival faiths. Nor did they prevent princes from setting aside a protected but subaltern place for religious minorities. Hence, although the ideology of holy war served to justify or celebrate one victory or another, the chapter argues that religion was often an a posteriori explanation for a conflict that had many other causes.Less
This chapter is devoted to the development of the concepts of jihad, Crusade, and reconquista. It shows that, in both Christian and Muslim territories, ideologies of holy war were often used to justify conquest of the “infidels.” These ideologies glorified war waged for the “true” religion but rarely ruled out political and military alliances with princes belonging to rival faiths. Nor did they prevent princes from setting aside a protected but subaltern place for religious minorities. Hence, although the ideology of holy war served to justify or celebrate one victory or another, the chapter argues that religion was often an a posteriori explanation for a conflict that had many other causes.
Benjamin J. Kaplan
- Published in print:
- 1995
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198202837
- eISBN:
- 9780191675546
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198202837.003.0005
- Subject:
- History, European Early Modern History
This chapter sets the Calvinist–Libertine conflict in a specific social context. It examines Utrecht's social structures and analyses the composition of the two religious parties there. From this ...
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This chapter sets the Calvinist–Libertine conflict in a specific social context. It examines Utrecht's social structures and analyses the composition of the two religious parties there. From this analysis emerges an explanation as to why the Calvinist–Libertine conflict attained such unequalled vehemence in Utrecht.Less
This chapter sets the Calvinist–Libertine conflict in a specific social context. It examines Utrecht's social structures and analyses the composition of the two religious parties there. From this analysis emerges an explanation as to why the Calvinist–Libertine conflict attained such unequalled vehemence in Utrecht.
Scott C. Esplin
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- May 2019
- ISBN:
- 9780252042102
- eISBN:
- 9780252050855
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University of Illinois Press
- DOI:
- 10.5622/illinois/9780252042102.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
In the 1840s, Nauvoo, Illinois, was a religious boomtown, the headquarters for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormonism), a controversial religion whose theology, social practices, ...
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In the 1840s, Nauvoo, Illinois, was a religious boomtown, the headquarters for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormonism), a controversial religion whose theology, social practices, and solidarity led to cultural conflict. By the mid-1840s, Joseph Smith, the religion’s prophet-leader, was killed, and thousands of Mormons relocated west to Utah.
During the twentieth century, the Latter-day Saints returned to their former headquarters in Nauvoo, Illinois, in a dramatic way. Acquiring nearly half of the property in the city, the faith transformed the sleepy Mississippi River town into a historical re-creation of its earlier splendor. However, as it did in the nineteenth century, Mormonism’s presence in western Illinois in the twentieth century created conflict. Competing groups, including the religion’s sister faith, the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ, offered a rival interpretation of Nauvoo’s past. Additionally, community members without a connection to either branch of Mormonism sought to preserve their own rich history in the city. Return to the City of Joseph: Modern Mormonism’s Contest for the Soul of Nauvoo examines the conflicts over historical memory that have developed as Mormonism returned to western Illinois. It focuses on the social history of the community, examining interactions between groups impacted by Mormonism’s touristic takeover. In a broader way, it also intersects with studies of historical tourism and pilgrimage.Less
In the 1840s, Nauvoo, Illinois, was a religious boomtown, the headquarters for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormonism), a controversial religion whose theology, social practices, and solidarity led to cultural conflict. By the mid-1840s, Joseph Smith, the religion’s prophet-leader, was killed, and thousands of Mormons relocated west to Utah.
During the twentieth century, the Latter-day Saints returned to their former headquarters in Nauvoo, Illinois, in a dramatic way. Acquiring nearly half of the property in the city, the faith transformed the sleepy Mississippi River town into a historical re-creation of its earlier splendor. However, as it did in the nineteenth century, Mormonism’s presence in western Illinois in the twentieth century created conflict. Competing groups, including the religion’s sister faith, the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ, offered a rival interpretation of Nauvoo’s past. Additionally, community members without a connection to either branch of Mormonism sought to preserve their own rich history in the city. Return to the City of Joseph: Modern Mormonism’s Contest for the Soul of Nauvoo examines the conflicts over historical memory that have developed as Mormonism returned to western Illinois. It focuses on the social history of the community, examining interactions between groups impacted by Mormonism’s touristic takeover. In a broader way, it also intersects with studies of historical tourism and pilgrimage.
Michael Gaddis
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780520241046
- eISBN:
- 9780520930902
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520241046.001.0001
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Archaeology: Classical
“There is no crime for those who have Christ,” claimed a fifth-century zealot, neatly expressing the belief of religious extremists that righteous zeal for God trumps worldly law. This book looks at ...
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“There is no crime for those who have Christ,” claimed a fifth-century zealot, neatly expressing the belief of religious extremists that righteous zeal for God trumps worldly law. This book looks at religious violence and the attitudes that drove it in the Christian Roman Empire of the fourth and fifth centuries, a unique period shaped by the marriage of Christian ideology and Roman imperial power. Drawing together materials spanning a wide chronological and geographical range, the book asks what religious conflict meant to those involved, both perpetrators and victims, and how violence was experienced, represented, justified, or contested. This analysis reveals how various groups employed the language of religious violence to construct their own identities, to undermine the legitimacy of their rivals, and to advance themselves in the competitive and high-stakes process of Christianizing the Roman Empire. The book pursues case studies and themes including martyrdom and persecution, the Donatist controversy and other sectarian conflicts, zealous monks' assaults on pagan temples, the tyrannical behavior of powerful bishops, and the intrigues of church councils. In addition to illuminating a core issue of late antiquity, this book also sheds light on thematic and comparative dimensions of religious violence in other times, including our own.Less
“There is no crime for those who have Christ,” claimed a fifth-century zealot, neatly expressing the belief of religious extremists that righteous zeal for God trumps worldly law. This book looks at religious violence and the attitudes that drove it in the Christian Roman Empire of the fourth and fifth centuries, a unique period shaped by the marriage of Christian ideology and Roman imperial power. Drawing together materials spanning a wide chronological and geographical range, the book asks what religious conflict meant to those involved, both perpetrators and victims, and how violence was experienced, represented, justified, or contested. This analysis reveals how various groups employed the language of religious violence to construct their own identities, to undermine the legitimacy of their rivals, and to advance themselves in the competitive and high-stakes process of Christianizing the Roman Empire. The book pursues case studies and themes including martyrdom and persecution, the Donatist controversy and other sectarian conflicts, zealous monks' assaults on pagan temples, the tyrannical behavior of powerful bishops, and the intrigues of church councils. In addition to illuminating a core issue of late antiquity, this book also sheds light on thematic and comparative dimensions of religious violence in other times, including our own.
Tessa Rajak
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199558674
- eISBN:
- 9780191720895
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199558674.003.0004
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Literary Studies: Classical, Early, and Medieval
This chapter portrays the Jewish diaspora communities of the Graeco-Roman age. They were the milieu which the Greek Bible served and where it was developed, revised, and completed. Once again, ...
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This chapter portrays the Jewish diaspora communities of the Graeco-Roman age. They were the milieu which the Greek Bible served and where it was developed, revised, and completed. Once again, emphasis falls on the relationship with the dominant power and with the prevailing cultural norms. The primary evidence for the historical evolution of these communities is surveyed and landmarks in its eventful history are picked out. The continuities in its social, cultural, and religious structures, above all, the synagogue, emerge clearly. At the same time, the articulation of the Jewish community with the broader environment is expressed by a high level of individual and group integration into city life. We have evidence of interest shown by highly placed non-Jewish benefactors and sympathizers in their local synagogue. Yet there were repeated, sometimes widespread manifestations of tension and even violence. That dual experience is both the background and the shaping influence for the Greek Bible, which reflects the conflicts of life under an imperial power in a polytheistic world — uncertainty and dependence on the one hand, confidence and self-sufficiency on the other.Less
This chapter portrays the Jewish diaspora communities of the Graeco-Roman age. They were the milieu which the Greek Bible served and where it was developed, revised, and completed. Once again, emphasis falls on the relationship with the dominant power and with the prevailing cultural norms. The primary evidence for the historical evolution of these communities is surveyed and landmarks in its eventful history are picked out. The continuities in its social, cultural, and religious structures, above all, the synagogue, emerge clearly. At the same time, the articulation of the Jewish community with the broader environment is expressed by a high level of individual and group integration into city life. We have evidence of interest shown by highly placed non-Jewish benefactors and sympathizers in their local synagogue. Yet there were repeated, sometimes widespread manifestations of tension and even violence. That dual experience is both the background and the shaping influence for the Greek Bible, which reflects the conflicts of life under an imperial power in a polytheistic world — uncertainty and dependence on the one hand, confidence and self-sufficiency on the other.
Christopher R. Duncan
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- August 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780801451584
- eISBN:
- 9780801469107
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Cornell University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7591/cornell/9780801451584.003.0003
- Subject:
- Anthropology, Social and Cultural Anthropology
This chapter looks at how an ethnic conflict over land between indigenous people and government-sponsored migrants came to be viewed as one that pitted Christians against Muslims. It moves beyond ...
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This chapter looks at how an ethnic conflict over land between indigenous people and government-sponsored migrants came to be viewed as one that pitted Christians against Muslims. It moves beyond simply explaining this framing shift, and examines what exactly it meant for those taking part in the violence and how it influenced their actions. It then explores how the violence, with its new religious narrative, spread throughout the region. The shift in the master narrative of the conflict from being an ethnic one to being one based on religion was more than just a simple shift in classification. It had an impact on the way the conflict was fought, the way it was resolved, and the way it will be remembered. Understanding how this shift in coding took place, and the affect that it had, provides a better understanding of the conflict.Less
This chapter looks at how an ethnic conflict over land between indigenous people and government-sponsored migrants came to be viewed as one that pitted Christians against Muslims. It moves beyond simply explaining this framing shift, and examines what exactly it meant for those taking part in the violence and how it influenced their actions. It then explores how the violence, with its new religious narrative, spread throughout the region. The shift in the master narrative of the conflict from being an ethnic one to being one based on religion was more than just a simple shift in classification. It had an impact on the way the conflict was fought, the way it was resolved, and the way it will be remembered. Understanding how this shift in coding took place, and the affect that it had, provides a better understanding of the conflict.
Peter N. Bell
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- May 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780199567331
- eISBN:
- 9780191744921
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199567331.003.0004
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, European History: BCE to 500CE
This chapter examines factional conflicts of the circus and theatre and the religious struggles culminating in the schism of the ‘Miaphysites’. It is organized as follows. Section 1 describes ...
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This chapter examines factional conflicts of the circus and theatre and the religious struggles culminating in the schism of the ‘Miaphysites’. It is organized as follows. Section 1 describes complementary, analytical tools found in contemporary social psychology, which brings out just how much these two sets of conflicts had in common. Section 2 presents the analysis of factional conflict. Section 3 discusses the Chalcedonian–Miaphysite conflict.Less
This chapter examines factional conflicts of the circus and theatre and the religious struggles culminating in the schism of the ‘Miaphysites’. It is organized as follows. Section 1 describes complementary, analytical tools found in contemporary social psychology, which brings out just how much these two sets of conflicts had in common. Section 2 presents the analysis of factional conflict. Section 3 discusses the Chalcedonian–Miaphysite conflict.
