Books in the Elements in Religion and Violence series

How can the world's religions, which propagate peace and love, promote violence and the killing of innocent civilians through terrorist acts? This Element aims to provide insights into this puzzle by reviewing current debates, terrorist resources gained through religion, examples of cross-faith terrorism and a synopsis of deradicalization programs.

This Element reviews the state of the question regarding theories of cultic violence. It introduces definitions and vocabulary and presents relevant historical examples of religious violence. It then discusses the 1960s and 1970s, the period immediately before the Jonestown tragedy. Considerations of the post-Jonestown (1978), and then post-Waco (1993) literature follow. After 9/11 (2001), some of the themes identified in previous decades reappear. The Element concludes by examining the current problem of repression and harassment directed at religious believers. Legal discrimination by governments, as well as persecution of religious minorities by non-state actors, has challenged earlier fears about cultic violence.

Both violence and non-violence are important themes in the Baha'i Faith, but their relationship is not simple. The Baha'i sacred writings see violence in the world as being a consequence of the immature state of human civilization. This Element explores how Baha'i scriptures provide a blueprint for building a new culture where violence is rare.

In Open Source Jihad, Per-Erik Nilsson provides a unique overview of the academic research and political legislation concerning 'Islamic terrorism' in Europe. He scrutinises in detail how the concepts 'terrorism', 'radicalisation', and 'counter-terrorism' have developed as academic objects of study and political objects of governance. In the Element, Nilsson brings to the fore systemic problems of the field of terrorism studies as well as the various anti-terrorist apparatuses developed by EU member states. Open Source Jihad should be required reading for anyone interested in current European political and social events.

Sacrifice is not simply an expression of religious beliefs. Its highly symbolic nature lends itself to various kinds of manipulation by those carrying it out, who may use the ritual in maintaining and negotiating power and identity in carefully staged 'performances'. This Element will examine some of the many different types of sacrifice and ritual killing of human beings through history, from Bronze Age China and the Near East to Mesoamerica to Northern Europe. The focus is on the archaeology of human sacrifice, but where available, textual and iconographic sources provide valuable complements to the interpretation of the material.

The First World War was a transformative event, affecting international culture, economics, and geopolitics. Though often presented as the moment heralding a new secular era of modernity, in actuality the war experience was grounded in religious faith and ritual for many participants. This Element examines how religion was employed by the state to solicit support and civic participation, while also being subordinated to the strategic and operational demands of the combatant armies. Even as religion was employed to express dissent, it was also used as a coercive tool to ensure compliance with the wartime demands of the state on civilians.

Ritualized violence is by definition not haphazard or random, but seemingly intentional and often ceremonial. It has a long history in religious practice, as attested in texts and artifacts from the earliest civilizations. It is equally evident in the behaviors of some contemporary religious activists and within initiatory practices ongoing in many regions of the world. Given its longevity and cultural expanse, ritualized violence presumably exerts a pull deeply into the sociology, psychology, anthropology, theology, perhaps even ontology of its practitioners, but this is not transparent. This short volume will sketch the subject of ritualized violence, that is, it will summarize some established theories about ritual and about violence, and will ponder a handful of striking instantiations of their link.

In popular culture and scholarship, a consistent trope about Mormonism is that it features a propensity for violence, born of the religion's theocratic impulses and the antinomian tendencies of special revelation. Mormonism and Violence critically assesses the relationship of Mormonism and violence through a close examination of Mormon history and scripture, focusing on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Element pays special attention to violence in the Book of Mormon and the history of the movement, from the 1830s to the present.

Violence and the Sikhs interrogates conventional typologies of violence and non-violence in Sikhism by rethinking the dominant narrative of Sikhism as a deviation from the ostensibly original pacifist-religious intentions and practices of its founders.

This Element discusses the rich taxonomy of gods and demons encountered in Tibet. These spirits are often exhorted for diverse violent and wrathful activities. The author explores the role of divinities and demons in oracular possession, illness, astrology, ritual calendars, the landscape and as protectors of religious and political institutions.

Explores the disputed relationship between Islam and suicide attacks. It argues that Islam as a generic category is not an explanatory factor in suicide attacks. Rather, we need to study how organisations and individuals in their particular contexts draw tools from their cultural repertoire to shape, justify and give meaning to the bloodshed.

Summarizes the most important aspects of the role of violence in Chinese religious culture. These include counteracting the threat and fear of demonic attacks, maintaining norms and values, and expressing respect through sacrificial gifts of meat. Explores how violence was justified as positive use of physical force.

The Book of Job considers physical pain, social bereavement, the origin of evil, theodicy, justice, divine violence, and reward. Such problems are explored here by consulting ancient and modern accounts from the fields of theology and philosophy.

Explores revenge as a motivation relating to conflict and violence. Looks at Oceania, where revenge is traditionally a sacred duty to the dead whose spirits demand it. Beyond Oceania, revenge is an important hidden factor in processes of violence.

This Element explores the relationship between Islam and violence beyond the elemental or anomalous in addition to tracing the meaning of jihad from a struggle for a worthy cause to its present-day interpretation of martyrdom and terrorism.

This Element explores how religion and violence visited on Jewish bodies and lives created the first racial state in the history of the West and stands as an example of how methods and conceptual frames of postcolonial and race studies can bring new perspective to the foundational history of the past.

This volume focuses on the formation of Falun Gong, and Li Hongzhi's teachings about 'spiritual warfare', and how these have motivated practitioners to deliberately seek brutalization and martyrdom.