Description
Book SynopsisWritten by top practitioner-scholars who bring a critical yet empathetic eye to the topic, this textbook provides a comprehensive look at peace and violence in seven world religions.
- Offers a clear and systematic narrative with coverage of Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and Native American religions
- Introduces a different religion and its sacred texts in each chapter; discusses ideas of peace, war, nonviolence, and permissible violence; recounts historical responses to violence; and highlights individuals within the tradition working toward peace and justice
- Examines concepts within their religious context for a better understanding of the values, motivations, and ethics involved
- Includes student-friendly pedagogical features, such as enriching end-of-chapter critiques by practitioners of other traditions, definitions of key terms, discussion questions, and further reading sections
Trade Review‘Peacemaking’s approach makes it ideal for peace activists, people working on interreligious dialogue, undergraduates studying comparative religion, and even laypeople. It is both a realistic book and a very hopeful book… Omar and Duffey have taken a commendable first step in putting the possibility of peace front and center.’ (Jason Wyman, Fellowship, Vol. 81 No. 1-6).
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments xi
Introduction 1
Irfan A. Omar and Michael K. Duffey
1 Jihad and Nonviolence in the Islamic Tradition 9
Irfan A. Omar
Overview of the Islamic tradition 10
Ways of Understanding Violence and Nonviolence 13
Jihad in the Qur’an 15
Peacemaking and the challenge of violence 21
Nonviolent Activism: Key Muslim Figures 26
Conclusion 33
Questions for Discussion 35
Notes 35
References 36
Further Reading 38
Muslim Peacemaking and Civil Rights Organizations/Resources 39
Glossary 40
1.1 A Confucian Response 41
Sin Yee Chan
1.2 A Jewish Response 44
Joshua Ezra Burns
2 Christianity: From Peacemaking to Violence and Home Again 47
Michael K. Duffey
Who was Jesus? 49
Jesus, Nonviolence, and Peacemaking 50
A Brief History of Christian Nonviolence and Violence 55
Christian conscience 63
Peace through Nonviolence 65
Conclusion 69
Questions for discussion 70
Notes 70
References 72
Further Reading 73
2.1 A Buddhist Response 75
Eleanor Rosch
2.2 A Muslim Response 80
Irfan A. Omar
3 Jewish Ideologies of Peace and Peacemaking 83
Joshua Ezra Burns
What is Judaism? 84
Jewish Terms for Peace and Peacemaking 87
War and Peace in the Hebrew Scriptures 90
Pacifism in the Rabbinic Tradition 92
The State of Israel 95
Pursuing Peace 98
Conclusions and Future Prospects 101
Questions for Discussion 102
References 102
Further Reading 104
Glossary 105
3.1 A Christian Response 107
Michael K. Duffey
3.2 A Native American Response 109
Tink Tinker
4 From Sincerity of Thought to Peace “All Under Heaven” (Tianxia �Vº): The Confucian Stance on Peace and Violence 112
Sin Yee Chan
Introduction to Confucianism 113
Meanings of peace 117
Peace on the ground 120
Violence and war 122
Conclusion 129
Questions for discussion 130
Notes 131
References 132
Further reading 133
Glossary 134
4.1 A Buddhist Response 135
Eleanor Rosch
4.2 A Jewish Response 139
Joshua Ezra Burns
5 “Peace is the Strongest Force in the World”: Buddhist Paths to Peacemaking and Nonviolence 142
Eleanor Rosch
Overview of Buddhism 143
Historical Development of the Meanings of Peace, Nonviolence, and War 149
Moral Teachings Regarding Violence and Nonviolence 152
History of Buddhism’s Responses to Violence 154
Emerging Innovative Peacemaking Practices 158
Conclusions: What in Buddhism Provides the Means for Nonviolent Peacemaking? 161
Questions for Discussion 164
Notes 165
References 166
Further Reading 167
Buddhist Peacemaking Organizations and Resources 169
Glossary 170
5.1 A Hindu Response 173
Kalpana Mohanty
5.2 A Native American Response 175
Tink Tinker
6 Peacemaking and Nonviolence in the Hindu Tradition 178
Kalpana Mohanty
Introduction to the Hindu tradition 179
Peace, war, and nonviolence 180
Hinduism’s Response to Violence 182
Traditional Methods of Conflict Resolution 184
Mohandas K. Gandhi and the Satyagraha Movement 185
Practices and Disciplines that Contribute to Peacemaking 188
Hindu Peace Groups and Organizations 189
Innovative and Emerging Peacemaking Practices 190
Hindu Saints and Seminal Thinkers 192
Conclusion 195
Questions for Discussion 196
Notes 196
References 196
Further Reading 197
Hindu Peace Organizations 198
Glossary 198
6.1 A Christian Response 200
Michael K. Duffey
6.2 A Muslim Response 202
Irfan A. Omar
7 The Irrelevance of euro]christian Dichotomies for Indigenous Peoples: Beyond Nonviolence to a Vision of Cosmic Balance 206
Tink Tinker
Religion 207
Balance as Reciprocal Dualism 210
Warfare 210
Nonviolence as Incompatible 215
World Incommensurability: the Dissimilitude of Otherness 216
Relationship = Less Extraneous Violence 219
Questions for discussion 220
Notes 221
References 223
Further reading 224
7.1 A Confucian Response 226
Sin Yee Chan
7.2 A Hindu Response 230
Kalpana Mohanty
Conclusion 232
Irfan A. Omar and Michael K. Duffey
Index 236
