Religion, Conflict, and Peacebuilding : The Role of Religious Leaders in Bosnia and Herzegovina

This book provides fresh insights into the role of religious leaders in conflict transformation and peacebuilding. Based on a large dataset of interviews with Christian and Muslim leaders in Bosnia and Herzegovina, it offers a contextually rich analysis of the main post-conflict challenges: forgiveness, reconciliation, and tragic memories. Designed as an inductive, qualitative research, it also develops an integrative theoretical model of religiously-inspired engagement in conflict transformation. The work introduces a number of new concepts which are relevant for both theory and practice of peacebuilding, such as Residue of Forgiveness, Degree Zero of Reconciliation, Ecumene of Compassion, and Phantomic Memories. The book, furthermore, proposes two correlated concepts – “theological dissonance” and “pastoral optimization” – as theoretical tools to describe the interplay between moral ideals and practical limitations. The text is a valuable resource for religious and social scholars alike, especially those interested in topics of peace, conflict, and justice. From the methodological standpoint, it is an original and audacious attempt at bringing together theological, philosophical, and political narratives on conflicts and peace through the innovative use of the Grounded Theory approach. Front Matter ....Pages i-xxxvii Front Matter ....Pages 1-3 Field Research Findings? Delineating Forgiveness (Stipe Odak)....Pages 5-42 Theoretical Perspectives on Forgiveness (Stipe Odak)....Pages 43-60 Concluding Remarks on Forgiveness (Stipe Odak)....Pages 61-63 Front Matter ....Pages 65-67 Field-Research Findings? Outlines of Reconciliation (Stipe Odak)....Pages 69-93 Theoretical Perspectives on Reconciliation (Stipe Odak)....Pages 95-116 Concluding Remarks on Reconciliation (Stipe Odak)....Pages 117-118 Front Matter ....Pages 119-121 Field-Research Findings: Even if I Hate, I Live! (Stipe Odak)....Pages 123-163 Theoretical Perspectives on Memory (Stipe Odak)....Pages 165-192 Concluding Remarks on Memory (Stipe Odak)....Pages 193-195 Front Matter ....Pages 197-200 Field-Research Findings—Religious Leaders as “Divided Bridges” (Stipe Odak)....Pages 201-325 Theoretical Perspectives on Religion, Conflicts, and Peace (Stipe Odak)....Pages 327-397 Concluding Remarks on Peacebuilding Roles of Religious Leaders (Stipe Odak)....Pages 399-401 Front Matter ....Pages 403-403 The Howl of Identity (Stipe Odak)....Pages 405-408 Komšiluk: A View from the Interviews (Stipe Odak)....Pages 409-413 Identity and the Risk of Totalization (Stipe Odak)....Pages 415-423 Concluding Remarks on Identity and Komšiluk (Stipe Odak)....Pages 425-426 Back Matter ....Pages 427-467