The Cambridge Companion to Religion and War

Why is religion intertwined with war and violence? These chapters offer nuanced discussions of the key histories and themes.

Margo Kitts (Edited by)

9781108835442, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 11 May 2023

425 pages
23.5 x 15.8 x 3.2 cm, 0.84 kg

This Companion offers a global, comparative history of the interplay between religion and war from ancient times to the present. Moving beyond sensationalist theories that seek to explain why 'religion causes war,' the volume takes a thoughtful look at the connection between religion and war through a variety of lenses - historical, literary, and sociological-as well as the particular features of religious war. The twenty-three carefully nuanced and historically grounded chapters comprehensively examine the religious foundations for war, classical just war doctrines, sociological accounts of religious nationalism, and featured conflicts that illustrate interdisciplinary expressions of the intertwining of religion and war. Written by a distinguished, international team of scholars, whose essays were specially commissioned for this volume, The Cambridge Companion to Religion and War will be an indispensable resource for students and scholars of the history and sociology of religion and war, as well as other disciplines.

Introduction: exploring religion and war Margo Kitts
Part I. Classical Foundations: 1. Biblical paradigms for war in history and eschatology John Collins
2. Early Christianity and war Paul Middleton
3. Fighting and martial valor in Islamic thought Asma Afsaruddin
4. Hinduism and war Kaushik Roy
5. The Buddha in the ring of fire: the Buddhist ethics of warfare Stephen Jenkins
6. Sikhism: exploring the notion of a righteous war (Dharam Yudh) Pashaura Singh
7. Religion and war in traditional China Barend ter Haar
8. Buddhism and war in premodern Japan Brian A. Victoria
Part II. Just War: 9. Judaism and the ethics of war Reuven Kimelman
10. Just war in Christian thought, from the age of Augustine through the Early Modern period James Turner Johnson
11. Islam and the just war tradition: post-classical developments David Cook
12. Is there a Hindu just war? Torkel Brekke
13. Buddhist just war traditions Kristin Scheible
Part III. Religious Nationalism: 14. War in religious zionism Robert Eisen
15. Christian nationalism and millennialism in the United States Angela M. Lahr
16. The elusive dream of pan-Islamism Mohammed M. Hafez
17. Killing for the Hindu nation: Hindu nationalism and its violent excesses Kathinka Frøystad
18. Nationalism, violence and war in Myanmar's Therav?da Buddhist context Matthew J. Walton
Part IV. Featured Conflicts: 19. Christian crusading, ritual, and liturgy M. Cecilia Gaposchkin
20. A paradigm of righteous Jih?d in the Muslim ethos Osman Latiff
21. Fierce Goddesses of India: Durga and Kali June McDaniel
22. The demonological framework of the Heavenly Kingdom of Great Peace Barend ter Haar
23. War outside the state: religious communities, martiality and state formation in Early Modern South Asia Anne Murphy.

Subject Areas: History of religion [HRAX]