Overview

Can religion help societies achieve peace and stability? What actions can religious leaders take to facilitate conflict resolution? This book addresses these critical questions in terms of numerous contemporary conflicts within and between countries. In the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, public attention to religion shifted away from its relationship to politics and toward its connection to violence in civil conflicts, wars, and terrorism. Religion's role in sowing discord became more prominent than its ability to unify. Only recently have discussions turned toward the positive impact of religion and spirituality in the public sphere and to the role of faith in resolving diplomatic, political, and social problems. The essays in this book contribute to this discourse by examining past, present, and future opportunities to promote peace through religion and spirituality. The contributors to this volume explore topics such as humanitarianism, philosophy, counterextremism, human rights, rituals, populism, foreign policy, and environmentalism. Some of the chapters approach these topics from a transnational perspective, while others focus on specific countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East. Contributors: Jonathan C. Agensky Slavica Jakelic Afra Jalabi Brandon Kendhammer Loren D. Lybarger Cecelia Lynch Peter Mandaville Jeremy Rinker Margaret M. Scull Amy Erica Smith

Full Product Details

9780821424834

Table of Contents

Reviews

Given the diverse international contexts covered in this volume, generalists as well as regional specialists will find this work important and compelling. Religion is increasingly seen as an important factor in peace studies, so scholars and students in this discipline will be interested. Those in religious studies will also find this a fascinating read and an important reference for their research. -- Timothy J. White, editor of Theories of International Relations and Northern Ireland

Author Information

Nukhet A. Sandal is an associate professor of political science at Ohio University. She is the author of Religious Leaders and Conflict Transformation: Northern Ireland and Beyond and the coauthor of Religion and International Relations Theory: Interactions and Possibilities. Ingo Trauschweizer is a professor of history and former director of the Contemporary History Institute at Ohio University, where he teaches courses on American and global military history, the Cold War, and the Vietnam War. His books include The Cold War U.S. Army: Building Deterrence for Limited War and Maxwell Taylor's Cold War: From Berlin to Vietnam.

Tab Content 6

Countries Available