Religion Peace and Conflict Week 2 Key Question: The Nature of Religion; What is the role of religion in world politics today?

What is religion One of the earliest definitions of religion that of Edward Lord Herbert of Cherbury, member of the British aristocracy, soldier, diplomat and religious philosopher (1583-1648): ‘All religions five universal characteristics: 1) the belief that there is a Supreme Power external to the world; 2) This Power is to be worshipped; 3) Worship consists not in outward ceremony, but in piety and holiness; 4) Sin can be expiated; 5) There are rewards and punishment after this life

Historical overview of the definitional enterprise in the study of religion 19th century next major step. Anthropologists such as Tylor E. B. (1832-1917): ‘Religion is a belief in spiritual beings’ Something that can be found in all religions J. G. Frazer (1854-1951) criticized Tylor’s definition. Too wide. It brought under the rubric religion those systems of beliefs and practices that Frazer believed should be considered as ‘magic’. Religion should exclude magic

Historical overview of the definitional enterprise in the study of religion Anthropologists such as R.R. Marret (1866-1943). Supernatural power predated that of the belief in spiritual beings and therefore, religion is belief in supernatural power. This theory was very influential in the first decade of the 20th century Scholars such as Rudolph Otto emphasized the factor of human experience For Otto religion was not simply a belief in supernatural power, but a completely unique experience of that power

Historical overview of the definitional enterprise in the study of religion Scholars such as David Hume (1711-1776) and Sigmud Freud pointed that there is no such a thing as unique religious experience only experiences which are religiously interpreted. Such experiences provoke the human imagination to invent an explanation for its origin

Historical overview of the definitional enterprise in the study of religion Social functionalists such as Emil Durkheim believe that religious beliefs are the consequence of powerful experience, but there is nothing supernatural about this experience. In Durkheim’s view: ‘A religion is a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things – beliefs and practices which united into one single moral community called a Church

Historical overview of the definitional enterprise in the study of religion Functional definitions were popular during the second half of the 20th century The best known definition of religion to come out in the 1960s is that of Clifford Geertz: ‘religion is: a system of symbols which acts to establish powerful pervasive, and long-lasting moods and motivations in men by a) formulating conceptions of a general order of existence and b) clothing these conceptions with such an aura of factuality that the moods and motivations seem uniquely realistic’

Historical overview of the definitional enterprise in the study of religion Recently Brian Smith offered a new precising definition of religion based on the functional characteristic of ‘canonicity’. According to Smith an essential characteristic that all religions share is a ‘canonical source – whether it be a text or set of texts, an oral tradition or a myth or set of myths. This is another example of purely functional precising definition of religion

Recent Attention to Religion During the Cold War period not much attention was paid to the phenomenon of nationalism and religion Marxists and Liberals alike treated religion as a marginal variable A large section of the political elite and the public viewed religion as something irrational and premodern

Wars with Religious Dimension Israeli/Palestinian conflict The conflict in Northern Ireland between Catholics and Protestants 1973 conflict between Buddhists and Christians in Bangladesh The conflict between Sunnis and Shiah Muslims in Iraq in 1991 Serbian Orthodox Christians vs Catholics in post-Cold War Yugoslavia Orthodox Christians vs Catholics and Muslims in Bosnia-Hercegovina in the 1990s Fundamentalists vs moderate Muslims in Afghanistan in 1992

Conflicts between religious groups and state authorities 1978 Tunisia: Muslims vs central authorities 1988 Algeria: Muslims vs central government 1982 India (Punjab): Sikhs vs central government

Attention to religion has increased recently Increase of religious conflicts or conflicts with religious dimension Religious revivalism after the collapse of communism

Religious organizations -positive role in conflict dynamics Religious wars Low Intensity violence Structural violence Cultural violence

Religion as a bystander Religious organizations can influence the conflict dynamics by abstaining from intervention E.g. the role of the Roman Catholic Church during the Second World War

The role of religion in peace-building and peace-making Religion influences the moral-political climate Pacifism Just war doctrine Religious ecumenism vs religious nationalism

The role of religion in peace-building and peace-making Progressive development vs status quo Development, cooperation, humanitarian aid Peace-making Track II peace-making Field diplomacy

Religious Peace-making -Strengths More than 2/3 of the world population belong to a religion Religious organizations have the capacity to mobilize people and to cultivate attitudes of forgiveness and conciliation Religious organizations can rely on a set of soft power sources to influence the peace process Growing need for non-governmental peace services and thus room for religious organization to jump in

Religious peace-making-Weaknesses Several religious organizations are still perpetrators of different kind of violence In many of today’s conflicts religious organizations remain primary or secondary actors or behave as passive bystanders Lack of effective cooperation between religious organizations- most of the peace-building efforts are uncoordinated A need for more professional expertise in conflict analysis and management

Conclusion Back to the key question Answer Next week the nature of religion Thank you for your attention!!!