Religious Nationalism: A Reference Handbook (Contemporary World Issues)

This book tackles the assumptions behind common understandings of religious nationalism, exploring the complex connections between religion, nationalism, conflict, and conflict transformation. Religious Nationalism: A Reference Handbook challenges dominant scholarly works on religious nationalism by identifying the preconceptions that skew analysis of the phenomenon dubbed "religious nationalism." The book utilizes a multidisciplinary approach that draws insight from theories of nationalism, religious studies, peace research, and political theory, and reframes the questions of religious nationalism within the perspectives of secularism, modernity, and Orientalism. In doing so, the author enables readers to uncover their own presumptions regarding the role of religion in public life. Unlike other works on this subject, the work outlines connections between the analysis of the role of religion in conflict to thoughts regarding how religion may relate to processes of peacebuilding and conflict transformation, and further connects the discussion of religious nationalism to broader conversations on the so-called resurgence of religion. The book will serve advanced high school and college students studying religion, international relations, and related subjects while also appealing to a wide audience of readers with an interest in questions of religion and politics. Speeches of political and religious leaders Chronologies of conflicts in such places as Israel-Palestine, Sri Lanka, and the former Yugoslavia Challenges Dominant Scholarly Works On Religious Nationalism By Identifying The Preconceptions That Skew Analysis Of The Phenomenon Dubbed Religious Nationalism. The Book Utilizes A Multidisciplinary Approach That Draws Insight From Theories Of Nationalism, Religious Studies, Peace Research, And Political Theory, And Reframes The Questions Of Religious Nationalism Within The Perspectives Of Secularism, Modernity, And Orientalism. The Authors Outline Connections Between The Analysis Of The Role Of Religion In Conflict To Thoughts Regarding How Religion May Relate To Processes Of Peacebuilding And Conflict Transformation, And Further Connects The Discussion Of Religious Nationalism To Broader Conversations On The So-called Resurgence Of Religion. Machine Generated Contents Note: 1.what Is Religious About Religious Nationalism? -- Defining Nationalism -- Misconceptions About Religious Nationalism -- Challenging The Religion Versus Secularism Model -- Juergensmeyer: Supporting The Religious Versus Secular Model -- Hibbard: Challenging The Religious Versus Secular Divide -- Religious Aspects Of Religious Nationalism? -- Case Study: Northern Ireland And The Troubles -- Holy Places And Holy Times In Religious Nationalism -- Case Study: Northern Ireland And The Troubles -- Case Study: Israel And Zionism -- Ritual Practices In Religious Nationalism -- Case Study: Marching Season (northern Ireland) -- Case Study: Ariel Sharon At The Dome Of The Rock (israel/palestine) -- Ethnoreligious Nationalism -- Case Study: Jewish Elements Of Zionism -- Case Study: Serbian Nationalism In Yugoslavia -- Case Study: Kosovo And The Serbian Jerusalem -- Religion And The Emergence Of Premodern Nationalisms --^ Case Study: The Spanish Inquisition -- Case Study: France -- Challenging The Modern Secular Nationalism Model -- Political Elites And The Shaping Of Identity -- Case Study: Egypt -- Language, Literature, Texts, And Claims Of Authenticity -- Case Study: Hindutva And India -- Case Study: Sri Lanka -- Nationalism: A Replacement For Religion? -- References -- 2.nationalism: A Religion? -- Introduction -- Constructing And Conceiving Nationalism -- Nations As Imagined Communities -- Civil Religion As A Form Of Nationalism -- Markers Of Civil Religion: Rituals, Myths, And Symbols -- Self-conception Of Civil Religion: Origins, Identity, And Values -- The Sacred Canopy: Unifying Society Around Civil Religion -- Civil Religion: Debunking The Myth Of Religion As Antimodern -- A False Dichotomy: Ethnic Nationalism Versus Civic Nationalism -- Discourse Analysis Of Orientalism -- Religion And Modernity -- Compatible, Not Contradictory --^ The Challenge Of Reductionism For Understanding Nationalism -- Essentialist Approaches -- Materialist Approaches -- The Myth Of Religious Violence -- A Society Worshipping Itself? -- Modernist Misconceptions Of Religious Nationalism -- Types And Forms -- Assumptions And Misconceptions -- Religion As A Force For Change -- The Protestant Ethic -- The Protestant Reformation And The Sovereign Nation-state -- Religion In The Public Sphere -- Exposing The Discourses Of Secularism -- Laicism Discourse -- Judeo-christian Discourse -- Secular-orientalist Discourse -- Conclusion -- References -- 3.reimagining Religion And Nation: The Cases Of Israel And The United States -- Introduction -- Not A Sleeping Beauty: Anti-semitism And The Negation Of Exile -- Colonialism -- Orientalism -- Arab Jews And Mizrahim: Challenges To Monolithic National Identity -- Shas -- The Gush -- A New Israel: Puritan And Enlightenment Roots Of Religious Nationalism In The United States --^ Separation Of Church And State -- The Nation, The Land, And Manifest Destiny -- God's Almost Chosen People: Civil Religion, Nationalism, And The Civil War -- The Tradition Of American Jeremiad -- The Cold War: A Judeo-christian Nation Versus A Godless Society -- The Ignoble Paradox Of American Democracy: Race, Nation, And Religion -- Religious Nationalism And The Emergence Of The Religious Right -- One Nation Under Vishnu: Pledging Allegiance To God And Country -- Religious Diversity And National Identity In The Post-9/11 World -- Islamophobia And The Ground Zero Mosque In American National Imagination -- Conclusion -- References -- 4.chronologies -- Religious Nationalism And Conflict Zones -- Sri Lanka -- Northern Ireland -- Israel/palestine -- The Muslim Brotherhood In Egypt -- 5.biographical Sketches -- Sri Lanka -- Israel/palestine -- Israel -- Northern Ireland -- Nationalism In Islamic Contexts And Debates -- 6.data And Documents --^ Nationalism As Civil Religion: The Case Of The United States? -- An American Civil Religion: Central Motifs And Moments Of Contestation -- Official Speeches -- Religion And The Authorization Of Force And Empire -- Contesting The Meanings Of American National Identity -- Religion And Exclusionary Interpretations Of American National Identity -- Religious Nationalism: Examples From Around The World -- Hindu Nationalism (india) -- Sinhala Buddhism (sri Lanka) -- Israel: Religious Zionism -- 7.directory Of Organizations -- 8.print Resources -- Religion And Modern Nationalism -- The Emergence Of The Nation -- Public Religion, Conflict, And Violence: A Global Perspective -- The Global Resurgence Of Religion -- Other Selected Books On Religion, Society, And The Discourses Of Secularism And Orientalism -- Religion And Ethnonational Conflict (select Cases) -- India -- Israel/palestine -- Sri Lanka -- Northern Ireland -- Religion, Democracy, And The Modern Nation-state -- United States --^ Islamic Contexts -- Religion And Peacebuilding. Atalia Omer And Jason A. Springs. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Dedication Contents Preface 1 What Is ‘‘Religious’’ about ‘‘Religious Nationalism’’? 2 Nationalism: A Religion? 3 Reimagining Religion and Nation: The Cases of Israel and the United States 4 Chronologies 5 Biographical Sketches 6 Data and Documents 7 Directory of Organizations 8 Print Resources Glossary Index About the Authors