Thinking About Religion and Violence

Learning the essence of religious violence; the historical trends that explain the relationship between religious beliefs and violence; some problematic ways one often frames the issue of religious violence; perplexing questions about this subject.

Different ways of recognizing and studying religion as a way to examine religious violence; the idea that religion and violence exist in a fluid relationship; making the boundary between religious and non-religious identities fuzzy.

Exploring the special power that sacred texts have for religious practitioners; some people invoke these stories and images to legitimize violence; prevalent themes found in sacred texts; vengeful deities, holy wars and holy suffering.

Sacrifice is one of the most fundamental building blocks of religion; examining how and why people commit self-harm and sacrifice for religious purposes; animal sacrifice during India's Vedic period; self-denial and asceticism; religious suicides.

Discovering how religious violence is always justified by portraying its targets as malevolent; Professor Bivins explains how the social process of othering leads religions to process and create fear through scapegoats, demons and Antichrist figures.

An effective way of demonstrating religious power is through trial and punishment; the use of law and the meanings of public displays of violence as seen in historical cases of witch-hunting and witch trials; witches are more reviled than demons.