Between Eden and Armageddon: The Future of World Religions, Violence, and Peacemaking: The Future of World Religions, Violence and Peacemaking

## Abstract Recent years have seen a meteoric rise in the power and importance of organized religion in many parts of the world. At the same time, there has been a significant increase in violence perpetrated in the name of religion. While much has been written on the relationship between violence and religious militancy, history shows that religious people have also played a critical role in peacemaking within numerous cultures. In the new century, will religion bring upon further catastrophes? Or will it provide human civilization with methods of care, healing, and the creation of peaceful and just societies? In this groundbreaking book, Marc Gopin integrates the study of religion with the study of conflict resolution. He argues that religion can play a critical role in constructing a global community of shared moral commitments and vision--a community that can limit conflict to its nonviolent, constructive variety. If we examine religious myths and moral traditions, Gopin argues, we can understand why and when religious people come to violence, and why and when they become staunch peacemakers. He shows that it is the conservative expression of most religious traditions that presents the largest challenge in terms of peace and conflict. Gopin considers ways to construct traditional paradigms that are committed to peacemaking on a deep level and offers such a paradigm for the case of Judaism. Throughout, Gopin emphasizes that developing the potential of the world’[s religions for coping with conflict demands a conscious process on the part of peacemakers and theologians. His innovative and carefully argued study also offers a broad set of recommendations for policy planners both inside and outside of government.

Recent years have seen a meteoric rise in the power and importance of organized religion in many parts of the world. At the same time, there has been a significant increase in violence perpetrated in the name of religion. While much has been written on the relationship between violence and religious militancy, history shows that religious people have also played a critical role in peacemaking within numerous cultures. In the new century, will religion bring upon further catastrophes? Or will it provide human civilization with methods of care, healing, and the creation of peaceful and just societies?
In this groundbreaking book, Marc Gopin integrates the study of religion with the study of conflict resolution. He argues that religion can play a critical role in constructing a global community of shared moral commitments and vision—a community that can limit conflict to its nonviolent, constructive variety. If we examine religious myths and moral traditions, Gopin argues, we can understand why and when religious people come to violence, and why and when they become staunch peacemakers. He shows that it is the conservative expression of most religious traditions that presents the largest challenge in terms of peace and conflict. Gopin considers ways to construct traditional paradigms that are committed to peacemaking on a deep level and offers such a paradigm for the case of Judaism. Throughout, Gopin emphasizes that developing the potential of the world's religions for coping with conflict demands a conscious process on the part of peacemakers and theologians. His innovative and carefully argued study also offers a broad set of recommendations for policy planners both inside and outside of government.

Contents......Page 8 I: Introduction......Page 10 1 Alternative Global Futures in the Balance......Page 12 2 Between Religion and Conflict Resolution: Mapping a New Field of Study......Page 22 II: A Critique of Current Secular and Religious Approaches to Conflict and Peace......Page 42 3 Why Modern Culture Fails to Understand Religiously Motivated Violence......Page 44 4 What Is Missing from Religious Approaches to War and Peace: Judaism and Islam as Paradigms......Page 74 5 Modern Jewish Orthodox Theologies of Interreligious Coexistence: Strengths and Weaknesses......Page 96 III: Paradigms of Religious Peacemaking in a Multicultural and Secular Context......Page 122 6 Healing Religious/Secular Conflict: The Case of Contemporary Israel......Page 124 7 Conflict Resolution as a Religious Experience: Contemporary Mennonite Peacemaking......Page 148 8 New Paradigms of Religion and Conflict Resolution: A Case Study of Judaism......Page 176 IV: Conclusion......Page 206 9 Systematic Recommendations for Intervention in Contemporary Conflicts......Page 208 C......Page 238 F......Page 239 H......Page 240 K......Page 241 M......Page 242 P......Page 243 S......Page 244 V......Page 245 Y......Page 246 Notes......Page 248 Bibliography......Page 294 A......Page 306 B......Page 307 C......Page 308 D......Page 310 E......Page 311 H......Page 312 I......Page 313 J......Page 314 L......Page 315 M......Page 316 P......Page 317 R......Page 318 S......Page 319 U......Page 320 Z......Page 321 "In this book, Marc Gopin integrates the study of religion with the study of conflict resolution. He argues that religion can play a critical role in constructing a global community of shared moral commitments and vision - a community that can limit conflict to its nonviolent, constructive variety. If we examine religious myths and moral traditions, Gopin argues, we can understand why and when religious people come to violence, and why and when they become staunch peacemakers. He shows that it is the conservative expression of most religious traditions that presents the largest challenge in terms of peace and conflict. Gopin considers ways to construct traditional paradigms that are committed to peacemaking on a deep level and offers such a paradigm for the case of Judaism. Throughout, Gopin emphasizes that developing the potential of the world's religions for coping with conflict demands a conscious process on the part of peacemakers and theologians. His innovative and carefully argued study also offers a broad set of recommendations for policy planners both inside and outside of government."--Jacket Recent years have seen a meteoric rise in the power and importance of organized religion in many parts of the world. Although violence is often perpetrated in the name of religion, history shows that religious people have played a critical role in peacemaking within numerous cultures. In the next century, will religion provide human civilization with methods of care, healing, and the creation of peaceful, societies?In this groundbreaking book, Marc Gopin attempts to integrate the study of religion with the study of conflict resolution. He argues that religion can play a critical role in constructing a global community of shared moral commitments and vision -- a community that can limit conflict to its nonviolent, constructive variety. If we examine religious myths and moral traditions, Gopin argues, we can understand why and when religious people come to violence, and why and when they become staunch peacemakers. This innovative and carefully argued study also offers a broad set of recommendations for policy planners both inside and outside of government. This work represents an innovative attempt to integrate the study of religion with the study of conflict resolution. Marc Gopin argues that religion can play a critical role in constructing a global community of shared moral commitments and vision - a community that can limit conflict to its non-violent, constructive variety. Marc Gopin offers an analysis of contemporary religious violence as a reaction to the pressures of modernity and the increasing economic integration of the world. He contends that religion is now one of the most likely causes of massive violence An unprecedented level of paradoxical religious movement characterizes the contemporary era.