Religion and Violence: Muslim and Christian Theological and Pedagogical Reflections

Description

In this volume, the authors attempt to speak freely about the potential in religions both for violence and peace. I am confident that many impulses from this work will also impact the direction of churches and other religious communities, such that religions, all together, will try to mobilize the members of their communities to actively contribute to world peace. In this way, religions will be perceived as part of the solution for world peace, enabling them to move beyond the stigma of their damaged reputations. Contents Preface: Islam and Violence 1 Religion and Violence: Christian and Muslim Theological and Pedagogical Reflections. Volume Introduction Section I: Religion and Violence Section II: Islam and Violence Section III: Religious Education and the Challenge of Violence Section I: Religion and Violence 2 The Drama Triangle of Religion and Violence Islam, Terrorism, and Asylum Seekers The Drama Triangle and Religion: the Perpetrator The Drama Triangle and Religion: the Victim The Drama Triangle and Religion: the Bystander Conclusion References 3 Violence vs. Religion A History of Anti-Religious Prejudice Violence as an Intrinsic Part of Modern Secular Society The Rise of the Liberal State The Error of Forced Secularization References 4 Violence and Religion: A Complex Relationship Contemporary Terrorism Leads to an Identification of Violence with Religion Human Beings, not Religions, Cause Violence Mimetic Rivalries as the Main Cause for Human Violence Violence and the Sacred The Abrahamic Exodus from Archaic Religions Global Terrorism as a Perverted Offspring of the Abrahamic Religions God and Violence References 5 The Integration of Muslims and the Charlie Hebdo Attacks. Cleavages and Convergences between Religious Denominations in France Part One: The integration of Muslims into French society seems not to have been called into question by the attack against Charlie Hebdo Part Two: Muslims share a number of values and behaviors with other French people References 6 Eastern Orthodox Perspectives on Violence Introduction Background: Conflicts and Wars in the Orthodox Commonwealth Orthodox Positions on Violence An Orthodox Canonical and Theological Position A Canonical Stance Neo-Patristic Stance Contemporary Perspectives Concluding Remarks References 7 Embracing the Other: Lessons from History and Contemporary Christian Thought Maximus on Self-Emptying (Kenosis) as the Central Principle of the Christian Faith The Principle of Renunciation for Today? The Challenge of the Other Human Flourishing: The Reward of Walking with God References Section II: Islam and Violence 8 The Theological Background of Violence in Islam Introduction Violence in the Primary Sources of Islam: The Qur’an Violence in the Sunna Violence and Islamic Theology What is Islam? Victimhood as a Basis for Violence Conclusion References 9 Civil Disobedience in Islamic Politico-Legal Theory: A Challenging Balance between Justice and Stability References 10 Muslim Theologians of Nonviolence Islam and Nonviolence Muslim Theologians of Nonviolence Conclusions References 11 The Sunna of Fighting: Background, Dimensions, Scope, and Consequences The Significance of War Stories in Early Islamic Culture Background Extent and Types of Islamic Military Actions Violence-Laden Material in the Sunna in Relationship to the Qur’an Handling of the Sunna Material Conclusion References 12 Women’s Entitlement to Autonomy in Islam and Related Controversies Surrounding Verse 4:34 Conclusion References 13 Responding to the Marrakesh Declaration with a United States Declaration A Call to Preserve and Protect Muslim Civil Rights References Section III: Religious Education and the Challenge of Violence 14 Against Religiously Motivated Violence. Religious Education’s Contribution to Peaceful Relationships between Different Religions—What Should it Entail and How Can it Be Evaluated? 1 Theoretical Considerations: How can Religious Education Contribute to Peaceful Relationships between Different Religions? 2 Researching Interreligious Education Empirically: The Example of the Tuebingen Project “Interreligious Education Through Perspective Taking” Conclusions References 15 Violence as a Challenge for Religious Education, Psychological, Theological, and Educational Perspectives Preliminary Discussion of the Term “Violence” Psychological Perspectives Theological Perspectives Perspectives for Religious Education References 16 Journeying into a Peaceful Islam: A Worldview Framework Approach Introduction A Worldview Framework The Challenge: Engaging the Learner Transformation of Islamic Education The Results A Resource for Teachers Conclusion References Author Biographies