"The timely Blackwell Companion to Religion and Violence brings together an international, interdisciplinary group of scholars who provide a coherent state of the art overview of the complex relationships between religion and violence. This Companion tackles one of the most important topics in the field of Religion in the twenty-first century, pulling together a unique collection of cutting-edge work A focused collection of high-quality scholarship provides readers with a state-of-the-art account of the latest work in this field. The contributors are broad-ranging, international, and interdisciplinary, and include historians, political scientists, religious studies scholars, sociologists, anthropologists, theologians, scholars of women's and gender studies and communication."--Provided by publisher. "The Blackwell Companion to Religion and Violence offers a state-of-the-art overview of this diverse and crucially important subject. This timely volume brings together an international, interdisciplinary group of scholars who probe the complex relationship between religion and violence, now and in the past. Media accounts often announce the inherent connections between 'fanatical' believers and terroristic violence; but scholars have long recognized that such links are only one small part of a larger and more complex set of interactions. They argue that religious beliefs and practices are just as likely to provide resources for comfort and coping as to encourage violence and carnage. The volume is divided into several major sections: Traditions and Movements, Disciplinary Perspectives, Concepts and Themes, and Case Studies, which explore specific incidences of both religious violence and instances where religion has contributed to the resistance of violence. A concluding section offers insights into the future direction of scholarship in the area. It also includes discussions of the ongoing importance of religion to terrorism, and religious competition and conflict in Africa. Each section offers high-quality, cutting-edge scholarship, as leading authorities seek to make sense of the problematic correlation between these two forces"--Provided by publisher. Middlebury College). -- 19. Violence in Chinese Religious Culture (Barend J. ter Haar, University of Leiden, Netherlands). -- 20. The Dialectic of Violence in Jainism (Christopher Chapple, Loyola Marymount). -- 21. Just War and Jihad of the Sword (James Turner Johnson, Rutgers University). -- 22. Jihad and Martyrdom in Classical and Contemporary Islam (David Cook, Rice University). -- 23. The Psychology of Contemporary Religious Terrorism (James W. Jones, Rutgers University). -- 24. Pragmatic Responses: the Transformation of Failure and the Spiritualisation of Violence (Ian Reader, University of Manchester). -- 25. Sacrifice and Violence (Kathryn McClymond, Georgia State University). -- 26. History, Humiliation, and Religious Violence (Ellen Posman, Baldwin-Wallace College). -- 27. Reconceptualizing Totalitarianism and Fascism (Robert Imre, University of Newcastle). -- Part V. Case Studies: Religion and Violence, Past and Present. -- 28. Enduring the Sacred Scars of Slavery (Yolanda Pierce, Princeton Theological Seminary). -- 29. South Asia: From Colonial Categories to a Crisis of Faith? (Yasmin Khan, Lecturer in Politics, Royal Holloway, University of London). -- 30. Gender, Religion and Violence During the Holocaust (Judith Baumel-Schwartz, Bar-Ilan University). -- 31. Women in the Sastric Tradition: Colonialism, Law, and Violence (Nandini Bhattacharyya-Panda, Indian Council of Historical Research). -- 32. Biblical Metaphors, Violent Intervention, and American Identity in the Spanish-American War (Matthew McCullough, Vanderbilt University). -- 33. Militant Islam, Islamic Law, and National Disintegration in Sudan (Jok Madut Jok, Loyola Marymount University). -- 34. The Battle for Australia: Salvation and Conquest (Marion Maddox, Macquarie University). -- 35. Religious-based Violence against Women, and Feminist Responses: Iran, Afghanistan, and Algeria (Valentine M. Moghadam. Purdue University). -- 36. Anti-Jewish Violence in Late Imperial Russia (Robert Weinberg, Swarthmore College). -- 37. Religion, Pluralism, and Conflict in the Pacific Islands (Yannick Fer, Groupe Socie;te;s, Religions, Lai;cite;s). -- 38. Ritual Violence and Violent Ritual in Chinese Popular Religion (Avron Boretz, The United Board). -- 39. The Politics of Protestant Violence: Abolitionists and Anti-Abortionists (Joel Olson, Northern Arizona University). -- 40. Religion and violence in Africa (Ben Jones, University of East Anglia). -- 41. Rethinking Religion and Politics in the Middle East (Jeroen Gunning, University of Durham). -- 42. The Rhetoric of Puritan Violence (Andrew R. Murphy, Rutgers University, New Brunswick). -- Part VI. Future prospects: Beyond violence? -- 43. Liberation from Violence (Thia Cooper, Gustavus Adolphus College). -- 44. Why Nonviolence? The American Tradition (Ira Chernus, University of Colorado at Boulder). -- 45. Religious Peacebuilding (Maria Pilar Aquino, University of San Diego).