War and religion : a very short introduction / Jolyon Mitchell and Joshua Rey.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Mitchell, Jolyon P., author.

Rey, Joshua, author.

Series:

Very short introductions.

Very short introductions

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

War--Religious aspects.

War.

Pacifism--Religious aspects.

Pacifism.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (144 pages) : illustrations (black and white).

Place of Publication:

Oxford : Oxford University Press, 2021.

Summary:

Is religion a force for war, or a force for peace? Some of the most terrible wars in history have been caused and motivated by religion. Much of the violence that fills our screens today springs from the same source. Yet some of the bravest pacifists have also been deeply religious people, and many of the laws and institutions that work to soften or prevent war have deep religious roots. This volume provides an overview of the history of religion and war, and a framework for analysing it. Ranging from the warrior gods of Ancient Greece and Rome, and the ethical drama of the Mahabharata, through the Islamic wars of conquest and the Crusades, to present day conflicts in Sri Lanka and the Balkans, it considers the entanglement of war and religion.

Contents:

Remembering wars

Waging holy wars

Sanctifying secular wars

Mitigating the horrors of war

Invoking peace

Questioning religion and war.

Notes:

Also issued in print: 2021.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on online resource; title from home page (viewed on March 4, 2021).

ISBN:

0-19-252471-2

0-19-252472-0

0-19-184142-0