Princeton Readings in Religion and Violence

An anthology that examines the historical and contemporary relationship between religion and violence This groundbreaking anthology provides the most comprehensive overview for understanding the fascinating relationship between religion and violence—historically, culturally, and in the contemporary world. Bringing together writings from scholarly and religious traditions, it is the first volume to unite primary sources—justifications for violence from religious texts, theologians, and activists—with invaluable essays by authoritative scholars. The first half of the collection includes original source materials justifying violence from various religious perspectives: Hindu, Chinese, Christian, Muslim, Jewish, and Buddhist. Showing that religious violence is found in every tradition, these sources include ancient texts and scriptures along with thoughtful essays from theologians wrestling with such issues as military protection and pacifism. The collection also includes the writings of modern-day activists involved in suicide bombings, attacks on abortion clinics, and nerve gas assaults. The book's second half features well-known thinkers reflecting on why religion and violence are so intimately related and includes excerpts from early social theorists such as Durkheim, Marx, and Freud, as well as contemporary thinkers who view the issue of religious violence from literary, anthropological, postcolonial, and feminist perspectives. The editors' brief introductions to each essay provide important historical and conceptual contexts and relate the readings to one another. The diversity of selections and their accessible length make this volume ideal for both students and general readers. An Anthology That Provides The Comprehensive Overview For Understanding The Relationship Between Religion And Violence - Historically, Culturally, And In The Contemporary World. It Includes Original Source Materials Justifying Violence From Various Religious Perspectives: Hindu, Chinese, Christian, Muslim, Jewish, And Buddhist. Introduction : Why Is Religion Violent And Violence Religious? -- Religious Justifications For Violence : Introduction -- Forms Of Treacherous Fights, The Arthashastra / Kautilya -- Laying Plans, The Art Of War / Sun Tzu -- The Bhagavad Gita In The Mahabharata / The Bhagavad Gita -- Annals Of The Sword Taia, The Unfettered Mind / Soho Takuan -- Deuteronomy 20 ; Exodus 23 / The Hebrew Bible -- Surah 2 (the Cow) / The Qurʼan -- Whether It Is Always Sinful To Wage War? Summa Theologica / Thomas Aquinas -- Why The Christian Church Is Not Pacifist / Reinhold Niebuhr -- A Time For Revolution? A Time To Kill / Michael Bray -- The Neglected Duty / Abd Al-salam Faraj -- War And Peace, The Jewish Idea / Meir Kahane -- Declaring Myself The Christ ; Disaster Comes To The Land Of The Rising Sun / Shoko Asahara -- Last Instructions Of 9/11 / 9/11 Conspirator -- Understanding The Religious Role In Violence : Introduction -- Elementary Forms Of The Religious Life / Émile Durkheim -- Conclusion, Sacrifice: Its Nature And Function / Henri Hubert And Marcel Mauss -- Totem And Taboo / Sigmund Freud -- Sacrifice, Violence And The Sacred / René Girard -- Homo Necans / Walter Burkert -- Prey Into Hunter / Maurice Bloch -- Theory Of Religion / Georges Bataille -- Critique Of Hegel's Philosophy Of Right / Karl Marx -- Sacrifice And Descent, Throughout Your Generations Forever / Nancy Jay -- The Body In Pain / Elaine Scarry -- The Spirit Of Terrorism / Jean Baudrillard -- The Discreet Charm Of Indian Terrorism, The Savage Freud And Other Essays / Ashis Nandy -- Closing Comments : The Connection Between War And Sacrifice. Edited And With Introductions By Mark Juergensmeyer And Margo Kitts. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.