The Justification of Religious Violence (Blackwell Public Philosophy Series)

How are justifications for religious violence developed and do they differ from secular justifications for violence? Can liberal societies tolerate potentially violent religious groups? Can those who accept religious justifications for violence be dissuaded from acting violently? Including six in-depth contemporary case studies, The Justification of Religious Violence is the first book to examine the logical structure of justifications of religious violence. \* The first book specifically devoted to examining the logical structure of justifications of religious violence \* Seeks to understand how justifications for religious violence are developed and how or if they differ from ordinary secular justifications of violence \* Examines 3 widely employed premises used in religious justifications of violence cosmic war , the importance of the afterlife, and sacred values \* Considers to what extent liberal democratic societies should tolerate who hold that their religion justifies violent acts \* Reflects on the possibility of effective policy measures to persuade those who believe that violent action is justified by religion, to refrain from acting violently \* Informed by recent work in psychology, cognitive science, neuroscience and evolutionary biology \* Part of the Blackwell Public Philosophy Series Cover 1 Title Page 5 Copyright 6 Contents 9 Preface 11 Chapter 1 Justification, Religion, and Violence 15 September 11 (1857) 15 Religion and Violence 19 Violence 22 Justification 24 Nothing Bad 28 Between “Anything and Everything” and “Nothing Bad” 33 Nature and Supernature 35 Notes 38 Chapter 2 Religion 41 Generalizing about Religion 41 Supernatural Beings 43 Ritual 46 The Evolution of Religion 49 Memes and Religious Memeplexes 51 Religion as an Evolutionary By-product 54 Religion as an Evolutionary Adaptation 59 Social Solidarity and Religion 63 Defining Religion 65 Notes 68 Chapter 3 Morality 72 Introduction 72 Evolved Morality 73 Morality, Evolution, and Culture 79 Consequentialism, Deontology, and the Neuroscience of Moral Cognition 84 Reasoning and Intuiting 89 Morality and Religion 95 Notes 99 Chapter 4 Justifying Violence, War, and Cosmic War 103 Justifying Violence 103 Justice, War, and Just War Theory 108 Pacifism 112 Religious War and Cosmic War 115 Cosmic War 121 Cosmic War and the Supreme Emergency Exception 121 Cosmic War and the Superior Orders Plea 122 Cosmic War and Non-Combatant Immunity 123 Notes 124 Chapter 5 The Afterlife 128 Afterlife Beliefs 128 Christianity, Violence, and Salvation 132 Buddhism, Violence, and Reincarnation 137 Suicide, Suicide Cults, and the Afterlife 140 Notes 145 Chapter 6 The Sacred 148 The Sacred and the Holy 148 Durkheim 151 Sacred Values 155 Sacralization 159 Justification and the Sacred 161 Notes 165 Chapter 7 Recent Justifications of Religious Violence 167 Introduction 167 The Gatekeepers and Deific Decree 168 Aum Shinrikyo 171 Heaven’s Gate 174 The Killing of George Tiller 178 Meir Kahane and the Kach Party 181 Al-Qaeda 184 Concluding Remarks 188 Notes 191 Chapter 8 Tolerance 197 Liberal Democracy and Religious Tolerance 197 What Tolerance Is 199 Justifying Religious Tolerance 202 Religion, Toleration, and Causation 203 Violent Religious Groups, Tolerance, and the Liberal State 208 Notes 210 Chapter 9 Reducing Religious Violence 212 Religion, Violence, Justification, and Motivation 212 Undermining Religious Justifications for Violence 215 Undermining Religion 216 Undermining Confidence in Religious Beliefs 216 Trying to Keep Religion out of the Public Sphere 217 Offering Incentives 218 Cosmic War, the Afterlife, and the Opportunity to Make Converts 219 Cosmic Warriors and the Opportunity to Make Converts 220 Afterlife Beliefs and the Opportunity to Make Converts 220 Avoiding Conflicts over Sacred Values 221 Reframing Sacred Values 221 Prioritizing Sacred Values 223 Rituals, Threats, and the Sacred 224 Tolerating Violent Religious Groups 225 Concluding Remark 226 Notes 227 References 229 Name Index 257 Subject Index 265 The Justification of Religious Violence explores how justifications for religious violence are developed and how or if they differ from secular justifications of violence. Can liberal societies tolerate potentially violent religious groups? Can those who accept religious justifications for violence be dissuaded from acting violently? The book includes six case studies examining justifications offered for recent instances of violence. The first book specifically devoted to examining the logical structure of justifications of religious violence Seeks to understand how justifications for religious violence are developed and how or if they differ from ordinary secular justifications of violence Examines 3 widely employed premises used in religious justifications of violence -- appeals to a state of 'cosmic war', appeals to the importance of the afterlife, and appeals to 'sacred values'. Considers to what extent liberal democratic societies should tolerate who hold that their religion justifies violent acts. Reflects on the possibility of policy measures to persuade those who believe that violent action is justified by religion, to refrain from acting violently. -- Provided by publisher The relationship between religion and violence has been the subject of intense academic and public discussion. Clarke seeks to understand how justifications for religious violence develop and considers how these differ from ordinary secular justifications of violence.