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Home > BOOKS > The Gods of War: Is Religion the Primary Cause of Violent Conflict?
The Gods of War: Is Religion the Primary Cause of Violent Conflict?
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Does religion cause war? It is often claimed that religion is
responsible for more wars, more global conflicts and more deaths than
any other factor. After all, the world has seen its share of crusades,
inquisitions and jihads. Enlightened, modern people assume that if we
could only discard primitive religious belief, the world would be a
better place. Alas, the picture is not quite so simple. "Indeed," writes
Meic Pearse, "there is only one thing that bears a heavier
responsibility than religion as a principal cause of war. And that is,
of course, irreligion." In this provocative book, historian Meic Pearse
debunks the common misconception that religion causes war. He argues
that while religion is often a significant generator of armed conflict
both in the past and in the present, the two principal causes of human
warfare are in fact culture and greed for territory, resources or power.
Since culture and greed often clothe themselves in religion, wars
fought for culture often appear to be fought for religion. With keen
analysis of global history and current events, Pearse shows how
irreligion has produced far bloodier wars than religion, and how global
secularism itself does violence to religion and traditional cultures.
Ultimately, throughout history warfare has been waged over the shape of
society itself. A crisis in meaning leads people to fight for what they
fear may be lost. For a world weary of war, Pearse points beyond both
cultural and secular metanarratives to an alternative hope. 220 pages, softcover from InterVarsity.
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