Religions: A Scholarly Journal - Current Issue

Both in the past and the present religious has given rise to inspirations of war as well as to promotion of peace. While religious values entail a desire to promote peace both on this earth and in the thereafter, religions -- including those which are conventionally deemed most “peaceful”— often make use of warfare symbolism and do engage into conflicts sanctioned or justified by some of their representatives. Is there a necessary connection b Read More

In this interview, Prof. Karen Armstrong addresses the question of the relation between religion and violence from the Axial Age to the present day. She argues that every single one of the Axial Sages developed the Golden Rule and insisted that you could not confine your compassion to your own group. Today more than ever, we should not forget the crucial Axial principles. We need them to counter some of the dangers of the new technology Read More

Renaud Fabbri reflects on the connection between political and spiritual disorder, insisting on the millenarian roots of some of contemporary radical ideologies that seek to establish the kingdom of God on earth through violence.

The great discovery of the Classic philosophers was that man is not a “mortal,” but a being engaged in a movement toward immortality. Not everybody, however, is willing to attune his life to this movement. Quite a few dream of a shortcut to perfection right in this life. The dream of reality transfigured into imperishable perfection in this world, therefore, becomes a constant in history as soon as the problem has been differentiated. In the mo Read More

After a brief presentation of the work of the German-born American political philosopher Eric Voegelin, Prof. Barry Cooper focuses on what Voegelin calls the Ecumenic Age, the period from the rise of the Persian around the eighth century BC to the fall of the Roman Empire around the eighth century AD. From this period, we can learn that any intramundane apocalyptic efforts to unify politically the ecumene (or inhabited world) and thus to brin Read More

Violence is often seen as intimately connected to the Abrahamic religions, while on other accounts peace is the main religious objective. There is plenty of scope for coming to both conclusions when we examine Christianity, Islam and Judaism. It could be argued that religion takes violence seriously and provides suggestions for controlling it. In fact, the methodology of theology itself emphasizes balance and moderation, and so attempts to co Read More

The conditions that are conducive to a state of peace are primarily spiritual and have larger implications for the cosmos, the individual, and society. Dr Ibrahim Kalin explains the theological and metaphysical foundations of the Islamic conception of Peace as well as the way this vision shaped Muslim Empires through centuries.

Since 9/11 and the Second Iraq War, the Muslim Middle East has witnessed an outburst of millenarian expectations. Prof. Eric Geoffroy analyzes how contemporary fundamentalist movements are distorting traditional Islamic eschatology in order to fuel sectarian violence and regional conflicts.

In 2014, many saw in the establishment of the Islamic State over parts of Iraq and Syria and in the subsequent “restoration” of the Caliphate by Emir Abou Bakr al-Baghdadi a "return" to the foundations of Islam as well as the fulfilment of the dream of an Islamic "renewal". The Islamic State was thus depicted by its supporters as a political entity that was supposed to have existed since the beginning of Islamic political history and as being a Read More

In considering peace from a Buddhist perspective, it is important to remember that it is, primarily, an inner disposition prior to its effective embodiment in the world as a particular course of action. Even before this can be made possible, it must initially become the fruit of spiritual realisation. This means that, in effect, any talk of peace ought to be grounded in a vision of the spirit marked by wisdom, compassion and equanimity. The solution to Read More

The overarching challenge confronting humankind today is to break free from the cycles of violence and hatred that have become entrenched in societies around the world, to build momentum for a more peaceful, humane world—one in which no one is left behind. This paper offers a Buddhist perspective on this challenge, proposing approaches such as empathetic engagement with others and fostering the will to coexistence as key Read More

Humanity has entered an age of planetary consciousness and war is outdated. However we have not put an end to the cycle of violence, because we fail to understand our interdependencies and the need to focus on our inner humanity. Advocating a secular ethics beyond religion, the Dalai Lama reminds us, in his latest book New reality, that peace is the fruit of compassion. Following Gandhi’s principle : « Become the change you want for the Read More

This article first appeared in its original French version in "Témoignage chrétien" on April 30, 1948. Written by the French Islamologist Louis Massignon, a pioneer of Muslim-Christian dialogue, it addresses the political situation in Palestine and reflects on the spiritual meaning of the city of Jerusalem for the People of the Book.

While the contemporary world has been heralded as being “post-racial”, we can look all-around to see evidence that this assertion is not only flawed but false. Religion is generally blamed as the key culprit for the escalating conflicts igniting the world over which threatens peace. Yet, rarely is secularism and the void created in its midst carefully analyzed in this context. The historical roots of this problem are more remote than postmodernism Read More

Prayer is the greatest binding force, making for the solidarity and oneness of the human family. If a person realizes his unity with God through prayer, he will look upon everybody as himself. There will be no high, no low, no narrow provincialism or petty rivalries in the matter of language between an Andhra and a Tamilian, a Kanarese and a Malayalee. There will be no invidious distinction between a touchable and untouchable, a Hindu and Read More

The world abounds in clash of cultures, religions and beliefs today, as it has for millennia. In such contexts, how do we try to live peaceably with those who have differing opinions on how to live, worship, and believe. Such situations, in addition to the more mundane reasons based on wealth and land, often lead to wars, destroying each other’s religions and building walls to separate one another. We see this in the division of Korea into Nort Read More

The approach of the Aga Khan as a Muslim leader of our times is a useful corrective to many of the misperceptions about Islam in today’s world. His words and actions illustrate not only the essentially peaceful message of the faith but also the perennial and universal relevance of its principles and values as exemplified in His Highness’ integral and pluralistic vision. It is a vision of a lived faith – of engagement with life through creating a b Read More

Comenius was a leading European intellectual and philosopher. In the wake of the Thirty Years War, he dedicated himself to perfecting and promulgating what he believed to be the formula for peace, a formula based on the idea of universal education.

Since the Enlightenment, the modern secular discourse has stigmatized religion as a source of violence. Eric Vinson argues that in order to understand how and why religion can justify violence but also promote peace, we should move beyond the simplistic dichotomy between religion and politics and rethink religion as a mediating instance between politics and spirituality.

Subverting Hatred is an edited book that brings together different voices on religion and peace from different religious traditions. The book is a lucid appeal to recover the transformative power of religion in the midst of global violence and terror. It is comparative and seeks to provide a cross-cultural understanding of peacebuilding. Beyond destructive rhetoric, the book seeks to provide a new narrative that can engender peace and unders Read More