Cosmic conflicts

Watch the recording of the webinar here

 

Religion plays a prominent role in contemporary wars, conflicts, and rebellions across the world. No major religion has been exempt from violent conflict or is free from violent extremists. Though the role religion plays vary, it is often underpinned by a notion of what Mark Juergensmeyer has coined “cosmic war”: a confrontation between Good and Evil that enlivens the religious imagination to surpass ordinary claims of political authority and compel divinely justified violent action to real-world problems.

In this webinar, we will examine how religious imageries, experiences, narratives, and practices play into conflicts, e.g. by facilitating the mobilization and legitimization of armed struggle and extremist violence. Better understandings of the religious dimensions of conflicts are important also to consider the role religion may play to facilitate efforts of stabilization, conflict resolution, extremism prevention and peace efforts. Yet, as no particular religion is, by virtue of its theology, more prone to enable conflict or peace than others, and religion is rarely an isolated cause of conflict, interlocking issues and enabling factors related to conflict and peace dynamics are also discussed.

Speakers
Mark Juergensmeyer, Professor, University of California
Iselin Frydenlund, Professor, MF Norwegian School of Theology, Religion and Society 
Kristof Titeca, Associate Professor, University of Antwerpen
Mona Kanwal Sheikh, Head of Unit, Senior Researcher, DIIS
Maja Touzari Greenwood, Affiliated Researcher, DIIS
Peer Schouten, Senior Researcher, DIIS
Helene Maria Kyed, Head of Unit, Senior Researcher, DIIS

Programme
09.00-09.10   Introduction, Helene Maria Kyed
09.10-09.30   Keynote: Does Religion Cause Violence? Mark Juergensmeyer
09.30-09.45   Mark Juergensmeyer in conversation with Mona Kanwal Sheikh
09.45-10.00   Protecting Buddhism: Buddhist just-war in times of crisis, Iselin Frydenlund
10.00-10.15   Religion in Joseph Kony’s Lord’s Resistance Army: functionalist instrument, lived belief system or both of those? Kristof Titeca
10.15-10.30   Fighting for redemption: when gang members turn jihadists, Maja Touzari Greenwood
10.30-10.50   Q&A
10.50-11.00   Final remarks, Peer Schouten

Recorded Wednesday 2 December 2020, 9.00-11.00.