MACMILLAN The (De)Legitimization of Violence in Sacred and Human Contexts

This book provides a multidisciplinary commentary on a wide range of religious traditions and their relationship to acts of violence. Hate and violence occur at every level of human interaction, as do peace and compassion. Scholars of religion have a particular obligation to make sense out of this situation, tracing its history and variables, and drawing lessons for the future. From the formative periods of the religious traditions to their application in the contemporary world, the essays in this volume interrogate the views on violence found within the traditions and provide examples of religious practices that exacerbate or ameliorate situations of conflict. Review “The manipulation of religious sacred texts to justify violence in human interactions is a disease that contaminated certain members in most if not all faith communities. Questioning the validity and morality of such process of manipulation, requires deep reflection and systematic examinations of every sacred text and its possible interpretations. The collection of articles in this edited volume constitutes an important step in that direction.  The richness of a mixture of conflict cases and critical analytical lenses of the scriptures, pave the path for discovering similarities and differences in how major faith communities have managed to confront the legitimization of violence in the name of religion.”―Mohammed Abu-Nimer, Professor of International Peace and Conflict Resolution, American University, USA   "This book is a brilliant interdisciplinary inquiry into the intersection of religion and violence. One cannot understand the range of possibilities that confront religions and the world without comprehending the varied internal reasoning and discourse that the authors insightfully explore in this remarkable collection. They address one of the most compelling issues of human experience and readers will be informed, challenged and even moved by this book."―Michael N. Dobkowski, Professor of Religious Studies, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, USA     “Developing and advancing theologies of interfaith cooperation is essential to creating harmony in human contexts. This volume will assist students, scholars, practitioners and activists in the eternal quest to build a more peaceful world.”―Eboo Patel, Founder and President, Interfaith Youth Core, USA   “Much ink has been spilled trying to elucidate the nexus between religion and violence today and in the past. It is clear that there is a legitimate link between the two, but it is also clear that religion is often used to legitimize acts of violence that originate from other sources. The essays in the book carefully examine this link between religion and violence showing how religious texts and followers of the world’s major religions have used religious ideas to both legitimize and delegitimize violence. It is an indispensable and timely look at a topic of great importance in our interconnected world.”―Zeki Saritoprak, Professor of Islamic Studies, John Carroll University, USA From the Back Cover This book provides a multidisciplinary commentary on a wide range of religious traditions and their relationship to acts of violence. Hate and violence occur at every level of human interaction, as do peace and compassion. Scholars of religion have a particular obligation to make sense out of this situation, tracing its history and variables, and drawing lessons for the future. From the formative periods of the religious traditions to their application in the contemporary world, the essays in this volume interrogate the views on violence found within the traditions and provide examples of religious practices that exacerbate or ameliorate situations of conflict.   About the Author Muhammad Shafiq is Executive Director of the Hickey Center and holds the IIIT Interfaith Studies Chair at Nazareth College, USA.  Thomas Donlin-Smith is Professor and Chair of R