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Religion and Violence: A Protestant Christian Perspective
Author(s) -
Ariarajah S. Wesley
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
the ecumenical review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.104
H-Index - 7
eISSN - 1758-6623
pISSN - 0013-0796
DOI - 10.1111/j.1758-6623.2003.tb00189.x
Subject(s) - protestantism , theology , perspective (graphical) , citation , sociology , religious studies , philosophy , library science , computer science , artificial intelligence
It is ciminion kuowleclgc ihat nuich ol' ihc violence done in ihc name ol religion has liillc u» do wiih religion. OCien religion is tisctl. misiiscd and abused iii codflicls that have sociiil, economic and politiciil niotivati(»iis. ami inLinv of ilio [jcrsons th.tl actively perpetrate violence have liltle ov no knowledge o f thc icnels ol'ilic ('aiih in Ihc name of vvliich ihey ioin hatilc. In mosi of iliese cases il is religious identity niul IcrvoLir that play ihc major roie, ralhcr ihan ihc moiivalions prov idctl hy ihc faiih iiscll. Our purpcisc here, however, is noi lo deal vviili ihis hroadcr issue hui lo ask ourselves, in Ihc contcxi o\' Ihc events of Scplcmher 1 I, vvhcllici our lespcclivc religious iraditions {.k') in t a d contribute lo violence in ils many forms aiul nianifeslalioiis. "li is too easy in an apologetic coneci n". says hraiii^'ois I louiarl, " lo claim Ilial ihc conlcnl ol the religion is essentially iion-violcnt and ihal il is the human heiiigs who. v^hclhcr ini.lividua!ly CM" collcciively. ilivcri | i l | iVom | i t s | meaning" , adiling ih.il "in lai.! (he RKiis (){violence can he loLiiid righl hack in ihe religions, and thai is win liic lel igions can also easily serve as vehicles lor violcni icndcncies/" ' One iiccd.s lo heed this warning when one speaks of "religion and violence"" (roin a Chrisiian perspective. Reyond doubt . Chrisiianity has had a vioiciit history, ami loday many trace this hislory to Ihe Bible ilselt' and lo ihe v\ay ii has heeii inlcrpieletl and apjilied in the dcvelopinenl aiul spieatl ofChrisl iai i i ly as a religion. Speaking alH)ul ihe Bihie in an iiuerfailh context, however, is a diffieull mailer because vvliai ( 'hrisiiaiis call the Old Testament is also, antl primarily so, ihc I Ichivw scriptuies. There are eon siderable dilTerences hetv\een Chiisl ians and .lcv\s ui ihe tiiKtci'sianding and interjiictalion o fse r ip tu ies . and therefore what I s;iy here iiuisi he seen as a C'liristi;in |X'is|)cciive on the scriptures ihat we shate.