Does Religion Cause Violence? : Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Violence and Religion in the Modern World

One of the most pressing issues of our time is the outbreak of extremist violence and terrorism, done in the name of religion. This volume critically analyses the link made between religion and violence in contemporary theory and proposes that 'religion' does not have a special relation to violence in opposition to culture, ideology or nationalism. Rather, religion and violence must be understood with relation to fundamental anthropological and philosophical categories such as culture, desire, disaster and rivalry. Does Religion Cause Violence? explores contemporary instances of religious violence, such as Islamist terrorism and radicalization in its various political, economic, religious, military and technological dimensions, as well as the legitimacy and efficacy of modern cultural mechanisms to contain violence, such as nuclear deterrence. Including perspectives from experts in theology, philosophy, terrorism studies, and Islamic studies, this volume brings together the insights of René Girard, the premier theorist of violence in the 20th century, with the latest scholarship on religion and violence, particularly exploring the nature of extremist violence. FC Half title Violence, Desire, and the Sacred Title Copyright Dedication Contents Notes on Contributors Introduction Part 1 Does Religion Cause Violence? 1 Girard and the Myth of Religious Violence William T. Cavanaugh 2 The Complex Relationship between Violence and Religion: A Response to William T. Cavanaugh’s “Girard and the Myth of Religious Violence” Petra Steinmair-Pösel 3 Why is God Part of Human Violence? The Idolatrous Nature of Modern Religious Extremism Joel Hodge 4 Love Your Enemies: God’s New World Order Anthony J. Kelly Part 2 Violence and Deterrence in the Modern World 5 “The War to End All Wars”: Mimetic Theory and “Mounting to the Extremes” in a Time of Disaster Sandor Goodhart 6 The Sacred is Back—But as Simulacrum Jean-Pierre Dupuy 7 Forms of the Sacred and the Texture of Hope Sarah Bachelard 8 The End of Politics? Chris Fleming 9 Rites of Expulsion: Violence against Heretics in Early Modern Catholic France Carly Osborn Part 3 Islamic Terrorism: A Case Study of Contemporary “Religious Violence” 10 Islam and Violence: Debunking the Myths Asma Afsaruddin 11 Violence, Religion, and the Sacred: In Dialogue with Asma Afsaruddin’s “Islam and Violence: Debunking the Myths” Paul Dumouchel 12 Religion, Radicalization, and Violent Extremism? Julian Droogan and Lise Waldek 13 Religious Extremism, Terrorism, and Islam: A Mimetic Perspective Wolfgang Palaver 14 The Jihadist Current and the West: Politics, Theology, and the Clash of Conceptuality Jonathan Cole Appendix: René Girard at a Glance Scott Cowdell, Chris Fleming, and Joel Hodge Glossary of Key Girardian Terms Scott Cowdell, Chris Fleming, and Joel Hodge Further Reading Index "One of the most pressing issues of our time is the outbreak of extremist violence and terrorism, done in the name of religion. This volume critically analyses the link made between religion and violence in contemporary theory and proposes that 'religion' does not have a special relation to violence in opposition to culture, ideology or nationalism. Rather, religion and violence must be understood with relation to fundamental anthropological and philosophical categories such as culture, desire, disaster and rivalry. Does Religion Cause Violence? explores contemporary instances of religious violence, such as Islamist terrorism and radicalization in its various political, economic, religious, military and technological dimensions, as well as the legitimacy and efficacy of modern cultural mechanisms to contain violence, such as nuclear deterrence. Including perspectives from experts in theology, philosophy, terrorism studies, and Islamic studies, this volume brings together the insights of Ren Girard, the premier theorist of violence in the 20th century, with the latest scholarship on religion and violence, particularly exploring the nature of extremist violence."--Bloomsbury Publishing.