Religion, Violence, Memory, and Place

by Oren Baruch Stier (Editor), J. Shawn Landres (Editor)

Sites of violence often provoke conflicts over memorialization. These conflicts provide insight into the construction and use of memory as a means of achieving public recognition of past wrongs. In this groundbreaking collection, scholars of religious studies, sociology, history, and political science, as well as African, Caribbean, Jewish, and Native American studies, examine the religious memorialization of violent acts that are linked to particular sites. Supported by the essays gathered here, the editors argue that memory is essential to religion and, conversely, that religion is inherent in memory. Other books have considered memory and violence, or religion and place--this collection is the first to discuss the intersection of all four.

Contributors are David Chidester, James H. Foard, Roger Friedland, Richard D. Hecht, Juan A. Herrero Brasas, Janet Liebman Jacobs, Flora A. Keshgegian, J. Shawn Landres, Edward T. Linenthal, Timothy Longman, Tania Oldenhage, Michelene E. Pesantubbee, Terry Rey, William Robert, Theoneste Rutagengwa, Oren Baruch Stier, Jonathan Webber, and James E. Young.

280 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2006

Reviews

[Hotavio · Rating 3 out of 5]

Religion, Violence, Memory, and Place is the first of 16 books that I need to read for my Religion and Violence in European History class. I think that it was a decent book to start on as this glosses over several sites with bloody histories. The emphasis is on ways in which we memorialize these events. Which I found to be an interesting approach.
The book is broken down to essays, each revolves around a different site and angle. Some of the essays introduce complex ideas, while others are more more palatable. Naturally, there were some authors which I intensely disagreed with, such as an essay on the sexualization and exploitation of women in historical presentation at an old concentration camp. Other essays introduced me to areas of the world and events I was more unfamiliar with, like the appearances of the Virgin Mary at Medjugorie or a monument to Haitian migration that has certain religious significance.
Religion, Violence, Memory, and Place is a good starting point for me on the topic. I believe it to be a little uneven in delivery for it to warrant anything over 3 stars, however.

[Alex · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yargh.