Religion and war: A synthesis

This chapter draws on the papers in this volume to help develop a global comparative perspective religion and war. It proceeds by establishing two forms of religiosity: immanentism, versions which may be found every society; transcendentalism, captures what is distinctive about salvific, expansionary religions such as Christianity, Islam, Buddhism. does not suggest that either immanentism or transcendentalism enhance likelihood collective violence themselves. does, however, argue these types religiosity are how they drive war, allow enemies identified, rationalize legitimize violence. Some paths societies become more bellicose (prone war) martial (heavily shaped military ethos) sketched out certain elective affinities between imperial expansion transcendentalist systems proposed. The place Confucianism interpretative schema discussed towards end. Many scales comparison considered throughout, especially whether categories ‘transcendentalism’, ‘monotheism’ ‘Christianity’/‘Islam’ afford most insight understanding patterns