Religions in Conflict, Religions in Peace

Confounding the expectations of secularists, religion has a strong – perhaps growing – significance as a key source of identity for millions of people around the world. As a result, in recent years, religion has made a significant impact on both domestic politics in many countries, as well as on international politics in various ways. Perhaps most common is the idea that religious hatreds and differences are central to many recent and current political conflicts around world. The section is interested in assessing how religion can both encourage conflict and build peace, examining mounting evidence that religious leaders and organisations frequently play a constructive role in helping to resolve conflicts, as well as, in some cases, more negative ones in assisting to exacerbate them. Religious individuals and faith-based organisations are important sources of ideas, which can play important roles, not only as a source of conflict but also as a tool for conflict resolution and peace-building, while providing early warnings of conflict, good offices once conflict has erupted, and contributing to advocacy, mediation, and reconciliation. The section welcomes theoetical, comparative and case study papers, covering relevant examples from various countries and regions, which together demonstrate attempts, characteristically partially successful, to reconcile previously warring communities, thereby helping to achieve greater social cohesion, and providing a crucial foundation for progress in enhancing human development. Thus, panels in this section examine, theoretically and comparatively, the role of religions in conflicts and peace within and between states. Religion is not necessarily 'the' cause of war but religious ideologies may still play a significant part in conflict and religious leaders often provide moral reasoning and support for those involved in conflicts. While religions are sometimes found to be part, central or less central, of conflicts, in other cases religious leaders and institutions take part in mediation and peace process, highlighting religious commandments that condemn war and killing. Thus, while 'religious fundamentalism' is associated with violence and conflict this association is not always justified. The contradictory roles religions perform, in conflicts and peace, raises different questions on the politics of religion that the panels of this section will examine. This proposed section of panels seeks to engage with issues of religious involvement in conflicts and their resolution. This includes the role of religious ideologies, leadership and institutions in different settings. The specific questions we wish to examine include: How are different conflicts, in Europe and elsewhere, affected by religiosity? How to explain the varying roles that religious actors play in both internal and external conflicts? To what extent is it possible for religious leaders and institutions to be a moderating force in conflicts? Which models of and approaches to religious involvement in peace processes have been successful and which unsuccessful?