Literature review : Peace, conflict and religion
Religion plays a fundamental role in shaping our societies and the way in which its members interact among each other. Over 80% of the world's population self-identify as belonging to a religious group.1 In mainstream public discourse, religion is often seen as divisive, contributing to or being used to justify conflict and violence. Yet, at the same time, religious figures such as Martin Luther King or Archbishop Tutu, have instilled millions of people worldwide with faith and hope as well as the power to use the transformative force of religion to promote peaceful societal relations.
It is not surprising therefore that the academic literature on religion, peace and conflict, is manifold,
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The nexus between religion and conflict is not limited to the impact of religion on violent conflict, but also refers to religion as a cause for structural violence through discrimination and exclusions. A “propositional” understanding of religion emphasizes that each religion claims absolute truth. Anthropologists examine how within and across societies, religion is used to create differences among people. Political scientists argue that religion, through its inherent distinction between an in-group and an out-group, can lead to structural violence within societies and on the international scene. According to Galtung, “cultural violence”, often based on religion and ideology, is a form of violence that is used to legitimize other forms of …show more content…
Faith-based mediation is seen as an important contributor to conflict resolution and peace. J. Bercovitch and S.A. Kadayifci-Orellana11 focus on the conditions that are conducive to the success of faith-based mediations: the legitimacy and leverage of religious actors can be powerful factors to promote successful mediation processes. A. Aroua makes a case for mediators that have a deep understanding of religious beliefs and ideals so that they can promote inter-religious dialogue by translating codes from one value system to another (“mediators as translators”).12 N.C. Funk and C. J. Woolner emphasize the role of inter-faith dialogue to promote conflict
This powerful text, “When Religion Becomes Lethal: The Explosive Mix of Politics and Religion in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam” is the centerpiece for understanding the truth behind centuries of spiritual history and politics between three different denominations. Dr. Charles Kimball focuses solely on identifying the negatives within politics and religion as a whole, and how unconstructive the two can actually be. Kimball gave a huge amount of historical insight on Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and how each of the religions came about. He also discusses their different relationships and different viewpoints that they have for one another. Lastly, Kimball uses his years of experience to offer a new and much broader way to think about
A Separate Peace, Unit Test Hamza Eldohiri The story “A Separate Peace”, written by John Knowles, was written at the time and takes place during World War II when battles and conflicts amongst nations were evident. Each nation involved struggled and fought their hardest in order to satisfy the good of their nation. Not only is the setting in the story taking place during this time of quarrel, the story also demonstrates areas of self-conflict and an internal battle throughout. The characters in “A Separate Peace”, are described as experiencing this self-conflicting, internal battle. Gene (also the narrator) is specifically depicted as he goes through his battle in life.
For this reason, an increasing amount of conflict arises and shapes a person’s prejudice. Religion constructs its follower’s ideology which puts
Strength develops in someone through their experiences which have the ability to make them an emotionally stronger person. A quote by Ernest Hemingway presents that “the world breaks everyone, then some become strong at the broken places.” Even those who suffer the most will have the ability to bounce back at a stronger state. This theme reveals its relevance in A Separate Peace by John Knowles as we analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the main characters, Finny and Gene. Although some may insist that Finny’s emotional state fits the mold of a weak character, I have confidence that Finny has the most inner strength out of the two boys given his description and actions throughout the novel.
Religion often times is depicted as a specific institution that follows the teaching of the Bible, Torah, or the Quran. People fail to realize that religion can stand as anything for any particular person depending on their values. These values bring about sacred symbols, object, or systems to
“Our minds are a battle ground between good and bad ideas; we are whatever side wins the battle” Bangambiki Habyarimana, The Great Pearl of Wisdom. The struggle between good and evil is found universally. In the novel A Separate Peace, Gene Forrester struggles between his own inner good and evil. Gene's actions often reflect his feelings, leading him to trouble, giving the illusion that Gene is filled with more evil than good. However, Gene's goodness can be found even through dark times.
Sometimes internal wars can be fought just as vehemently and result in as many casualties as an external war. John Knowles shows us this in his novel, A Separate Peace. During the time of this story, WW2 rages on, whilst the main character, Gene Forrester, battles his own internal conflicts just as violently. From the beginning, you can see that the entire novel is revolved around the happenings of World War 2.
In the essay, “ The Role of Religion in Modern Society”, Dalai Lama, The preeminent religious authority in Buddhism reveals the reason behind why religion has been a major source of conflict throughout the history, and how inter-religious harmony is the key to overcoming conflict of the first sort. He goes deeper into the similarities between different religion and identifies the obstacles that obstruct inter-religious harmony by developing ways to overcome them. He believes religion plays a vital role in the modern society by shaping the person's spiritual qualities rather than making him a better religious person than the other. Dalai Lama expounds that religious practice can help a person cope with adversity than those who don't.
Religion has created and resolved many conflicts in civilizations. Throughout world history, religion has played a huge role of different societies due to the conflict that it can cause in cities, countries and even full continents. As time goes by, maturity within each religion progresses. Each religion has become more forgiving with their rules and guidelines which is a drastic difference to how it used to be when old countries used religions to unite and decide government rulers. Religion is a crucial part of civilizations, it can have many different positive and negative effects on the way countries move on.
“Just as a candle cannot burn without fire, men cannot live without a spiritual life” (Buddha). Throughout different time periods religion has impacted the society in which people live. Religion has and continues to dictate the rules citizens have to follow in all areas, especially social, educational, and political. Religion influences morals, values, and people’s identities. Many people turn to religion for not just spiritual answers, but for guidance and help in everyday life.
Springer (2009) believes that violence is a gross stereotype which is associated with the depiction of the culture in the context of 'war in terror '. African, Asian and Islamic cultures are said to be highly violent. Thus, any discourse that suggests violence should be viewed as contextually specific, because it is bound to particular places in which the culture of violence is formed. Therefore,
Religion–it is something that has been in existence since the beginning of time. It brings meaning to life and death. It creates a sense of belonging in the world. On the other hand, religion, or lack thereof, has also been, in many instances, the cause of oppression, warfare, and even terrorism. Sometimes religion is used to the advantage of one’s self.
Week Outline Preliminary Thesis Statement: Religion is an essential constituent of any civilization with a unique spiritual pathway. Main Point: Religious spirituality establishes the framework for human social and cultural development. 1. Topic Sentence:
War on Religion There is a belief among people that declares religion as the main cause of wars worldwide, and it has been the main cause of violence throughout the history of humanity. While we cannot deny that, some battles such as the crusades and the Lebanese civil war were based on religious faith, it is totally illogical to consider religion as the main cause of wars. Moreover, although there is also no disagreement that some extremist in Islam were behind 9/11, it is considered a misjudgment to say that all individuals in this religion convey the concept of violence and cruelty. The fact is non-religious incentives take the responsibility for almost all of humans’ wars. Lives lost during religious wars are nothing compared to those lost during non-religious wars.so why people believe that religion is the cause of wars, why they are wrong and do the extremist represent religions?
The violent conflict approach is defined through coercion, threats, and destructive assaults. Galtung’s, model suggests that each of these components influence one another, and while each