Belief and Bloodshed: Religion and Violence Across Time and Tradition

Intended for students as well as scholars of religion and violence, Belief and Bloodshed discusses how the relationship between religion and violence is not unique to a post-9/11 world-it has existed throughout all of recorded history and culture. The book makes clear the complex interactions between religion, violence, and politics to show that religion as always innocent or always evil is misguided, and that rationalizations by religion for political power and violence are not new. Chronologically organized, the book shows religiously motivated violence across a variety of historical periods and cultures, moving from the ancient to medieval to the modern world, ending with an essay comparing the speeches of an ancient king to the speeches of the current U.S. President.

Table of Contents:
1 Introduction: Religion and Violence: Past, Present and Future Part 2 The Ancient and Medieval World Chapter 2 Dismemberment, Creation, and Ritual: Images of Divine Violence in the Ancient Near East Chapter 3 Making Memory: Ritual, Rhetoric, and Violence in the Roman Triumph Chapter 4 Taming the Beast: Rabbinic Pacification of Second Century Jewish Nationalism Chapter 5 Violent Yearnings for the Kingdom of God: Münster's Militant Anabaptism Chapter 6 Imperial Christianity and Sacred War in Byzantium Chapter 7 Founding an Empire of Sacrifice: Innocent Domination and the Quaker Martyrs of Boston, 1659-1661 Part 7 The Modern World Chapter 8 Holy Culture Wars: Patterns of Ethno-Religious Violence in Nineteenth- and Twentieth-Century China Chapter 9 Femicide as Terrorism: The Case of Uzbekistan's Unveiling Chapter 10 Monks, Guns and Peace: Theravada Buddhism and Political Violence Chapter 11 Avoiding Mass Violence at Rajneeshpuram Chapter 12 "Obliterating an Idol of the Modern Age": The New Iconoclasm from the Twin Buddhas to the Twin Towers Chapter 13 Is War Normal for American Evangelical Religion? Chapter 14 On Political Theology, Imperial Ambitions, and Messianic Pretensions: Some Ancient and Modern Continuities

About the Author :
James Wellman is associate professor in the Comparative Religion Program at the University of Washington.

Review :
This cross-disciplinary group of scholars provides fascinating studies across historical periods and religious traditions - all centered around the crucial theoretical point that religious group identities both promote solidarity and can facilitate violence. An important contribution to a timely and urgent conversation. The case studies in this interesting volume show that religion and violence have been associated throughout history and around the world. From the ancient Near East to 20th century China and contemporary Thailand, violent acts have been committed in the name of religion. Drawing on diverse traditions and theoretical perspectives, this lively volume enlarges our understanding of this dark attraction between bloodshed and belief. Belief and Bloodshed has a definite advantage over similar ones in that it offers a fairly global and historical perspective on its subject. ...All those interested in the nexus of religion and violence - either from a purely academic standpoint or with practical intentions toward the reclamation of faith from its historical and lamentable darker tendencies - would be well served by this important book. Of the many volumes published on religious violence in the last few years, few rise to the level of Belief and Bloodshed.... A definite advantage over similar ones in that it offers a fairly global and historical perspective on its subject, rather than focusing on the monotheistic traditions and the modern age, as is popular....All those interested in the nexus of religion and violence-either from a purely academic standpoint or with practical intentions toward the reclamation of faith from its historical and lamentable darker tendencies-would be well served by this important book. Global in scope and acutely sensitive to local manifestations of religious violence in ancient and modern times, this is the best anthology on religion and violence available today. No one interested in the relationship between religion and violence can afford to ignore this intelligent and well-rounded discussion.