Violence as Worship: Religious Wars in the Age of Globalization

by Hans G. Kippenberg, Brian McNeil (Translator)

Overview

Today's religious violence challenges our understanding of religion. Do we need special notions such as 'cult' and 'fundamentalism' to come to terms with it? Does monotheism, with its claim to exclusivity, necessarily generate intolerance? Kippenberg rejects the idea that violence and religion are inherently connected and instead considers the actions, motives, and self-perceptions of real people. He shows that the violent outcomes of the American tragedies of Jonestown and Waco were not inevitable. In both cases, law enforcement, the media, and anti-cult networks believing in the necessity of liberation by force stood in opposition to communities who chose to idealize martyrdom. The same pattern applies to other major cases of religious violence since the 1970s: the Iranian revolution; the birth of Hezbollah in Lebanon; the conflict between Jews, Muslims, and American Protestants that grew out of disputes between Israel and its neighboring states; and the attacks of 9/11. In the age of globalization, religious ties fill the vacuum left by the weakening of traditional loyalties and by states that do not foster social solidarity. Lest we believe we are condemned to a violent future, Violence as Worship concludes with a discussion on prevention. Religion may inspire many conflicts, but it is also a resource that can be mobilized to avert them.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780804768733
Publisher:	Stanford University Press
Publication date:	03/07/2011
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	296
Sales rank:	991,681
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Hans G. Kippenberg is Wisdom Professor for Comparative Religious Studies at Jacobs University, Bremen. His books in English include Discovering Religious History in the Modern Age (2002) and The 9/11 Handbook: Annotated Translation and Interpretation of the Attackers' Spiritual Manual(2006, edited with Tilman Seidensticker).

Table of Contents

Preface vii

1 Introduction: Violence as Communal Religious Action 1

2 The Growth of Religious Communities in the Age of Globalization 19

3 Conflicts with Alternative Religious Communities in the United States in 1978 and 1993 40

4 Every Day 'Ashura, Every Tomb Karbala: Iran, 1977-1981 56

5 "The Party of God" Intervenes in the War: Lebanon, 1975-2000 76

6 Israel's Wars of Redemption 94

7 Fighting for Palestine as Waqf 117

8 American Evangelicals Prepare the Eschatological Battlefield in Palestine 141

9 September 11, 2001: A Raid on the Path of God 158

10 The U.S. War on Terror: War Without Limits or Borders 182

11 Concluding Remarks: Wars of Religion in the Age of Globalization 197

Notes 213

Select Bibliography 245

Index 279

Editorial Reviews

"Hans Kippenberg's Violence as Worship: Religious Wars in the Age of Globalization offers an insightful and fresh perspective using a historically detailed sociology . . . Well-written and historically-robust case studies make this book a valuable addition to the growing literature on religion and violence."—Melissa Mathes, Politics & Religion

"In Violence as Worship, an expertly researched and excellently translated book, Kippenberg has offered a completely new interpretation of religious cum political conflicts in the contemporary world. This is a must-read book for government leaders, law enforcement officers, and religious personalities who advise presidents and other foreign politices."—Kofi Asimpi, Missiology

"Kippenberg's handling of violence as a religious act has broader applications for how analysts consider religion, agency and causation. The book is enormously useful for the analysis of religious and civic activity."—Ipsita Chatterjea, Bulletin for the Study of Religion

"This book is both one of the best contributions to the study of contemporary world conflicts and an impressive new approach to research on religiously inspired political conflicts in general. Kippenberg's approach is directed against all attempts to essentialize 'religion' and 'violence:' instead, he focusses on religious motivations and interpretations of violent acts by individuals and collectivities."—Hans Joas, Max Weber Center, University of Erfurt, Germany, and Committee on Social Thought, University of Chicago

"What makes Violence As Worship so engaging is Kippenberg's consistently brilliant use of social theory to explain the story behind the headlines. No one else has laid bare the extent to which religious advocates are also actors in civil society, empowered through the vast expansion of the public domain during the past half-century."—Bruce Lawrence, Duke University

From the Publisher

"In Violence as Worship, an expertly researched and excellently translated book, Kippenberg has offered a completely new interpretation of religious cum political conflicts in the contemporary world. This is a must-read book for government leaders, law enforcement officers, and religious personalities who advise presidents and other foreign politices."

Kofi Asimpi

"Kippenberg's handling of violence as a religious act has broader applications for how analysts consider religion, agency and causation. The book is enormously useful for the analysis of religious and civic activity."

Ipsita Chatterjea

"What makes Violence As Worship so engaging is Kippenberg's consistently brilliant use of social theory to explain the story behind the headlines. No one else has laid bare the extent to which religious advocates are also actors in civil society, empowered through the vast expansion of the public domain during the past half-century."

Duke University - Bruce Lawrence

"This book is both one of the best contributions to the study of contemporary world conflicts and an impressive new approach to research on religiously inspired political conflicts in general. Kippenberg's approach is directed against all attempts to essentialize 'religion' and 'violence:' instead, he focusses on religious motivations and interpretations of violent acts by individuals and collectivities."

Universityof Chicago - Hans Joas

"Hans Kippenberg's Violence as Worship: Religious Wars in the Age of Globalization offers an insightful and fresh perspective using a historically detailed sociology . . . Well-written and historically-robust case studies make this book a valuable addition to the growing literature on religion and violence."

Politics & Religion - Melissa Mathes