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Thinking About Religion and Violence
What is it that causes some people to commit violent acts in the name of religion, either against themselves or others? Why does violence even play a role in religion to begin with? How can theology, as well as history, sociology, and other frameworks, help us grasp the nature of religious violence? All religions, including the world’s great faiths—Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism—have their inner battles with violent beliefs and practices. And, in a world where violence in the name of religion can impact so many other people’s lives, it’s critical to understand the intersection between the two.
Perhaps the biggest obstacles to this understanding lie in fear, sensationalism, and dismissal, all of which can prevent you from truly grasping the nature of religious violence. What’s required is not to see religion as inherently violent, but to recognize that the violence associated with religious groups and communities is worth exploring and interrogating. It’s about examining whether religious violence is an indelible part of the human experience or a problem we can truly solve.
“If we want to know why ‘bad stuff’ happens in the name of religion, we need to understand how those who commit religious violence perceive what they’re doing,” says Dr. Jason C. Bivins, award-winning professor of Religious Studies at North Carolina State University. “That’s the best way to understand why our world is producing so much of it, and what we can do about it.”
In his 24-lecture course, Thinking about Religion and Violence, Professor Bivins takes you on a global, historical, and multidisciplinary investigation of religious violence. Delivered with honesty and sensitivity to the diversity of spiritual beliefs, he examines the roots of this phenomenon and guides you toward more informed ways of thinking about it. You’ll consider how faiths like Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism view concepts like human sacrifice, martyrdom, penitence, and means of violence; the ways religious violence can be directed toward specific races, genders, and cultural groups; the connections between violence and other religions, including Mormonism and Native American faiths; concepts like heresy, demonology, and witch-hunting; and more. Blending history, theology, psychology, sociology, and other fields, Professor Bivins helps you get to the heart of a complex problem that’s broader and deeper (and more optimistic) than you might have thought.
Learn How to Talk about Religious Violence
At the heart of Thinking about Religion and Violence is this central question: What sources shape and feed violent habits of mind and, in turn, the violence that sometimes follows from them?
To start, Professor Bivins grounds his lectures in the central concepts and ideas you’ll need for understanding the subject, mastering the flexibility with which we need to talk about religious violence responsibly, and fashioning your own interpretations. These topics include:
Religion: It’s critical to remember that religion doesn’t exist in a vacuum. However you choose to define it, religion is always mixed up with factors ranging from biology to culture to geography to class. One can’t simply say: “Religion made them do it.” One must look to the role played by culture, society, and the media—whether we’d like to or not.
Violence: Like religion, violence doesn’t exist in a vacuum but is related to politics, human bodies, economics, sex, and law. Violence is also about a kind of forcibly changed relationship between persons and communities (usually in public) and, therefore, quite often impacts the most deeply held beliefs of the people involved.
Other-ing: This term refers to the cultural construction of an enemy figure rooted in older cultural convictions, social hierarchies, and caricatures of different classes of people, all of which draw support from religions (even as religions critique them). The viewpoint of “other-ing” is at the root of concepts related to religious violence like scapegoats, demons, and anti-Semitism.
Cult: Many of the groups regarded as cults emerge from, or end up in, the religious mainstream. An objective definition of a cult involves the presence of several key characteristics, among them a desire for purity and authenticity, the importance of a new kind of authority figure or text, and a new pattern for living that often breaks with mainstream culture.
Holy War: While religious traditions often advocate holy war, they also contain resources for thinking through the moral complexity of “just” warfare. While there’s no clear roadmap or set of conclusions, each tradition has within it an obligation to wrestle morally, conceptually, and strategically about when to wage war.
You’ll also explore sacred texts to see what they have to say about the spiritual purposes of violence, and how their meanings may have been misconstrued and manipulated over time. Some of the fascinating books you’ll explore include n...
Perhaps the biggest obstacles to this understanding lie in fear, sensationalism, and dismissal, all of which can prevent you from truly grasping the nature of religious violence. What’s required is not to see religion as inherently violent, but to recognize that the violence associated with religious groups and communities is worth exploring and interrogating. It’s about examining whether religious violence is an indelible part of the human experience or a problem we can truly solve.
“If we want to know why ‘bad stuff’ happens in the name of religion, we need to understand how those who commit religious violence perceive what they’re doing,” says Dr. Jason C. Bivins, award-winning professor of Religious Studies at North Carolina State University. “That’s the best way to understand why our world is producing so much of it, and what we can do about it.”
In his 24-lecture course, Thinking about Religion and Violence, Professor Bivins takes you on a global, historical, and multidisciplinary investigation of religious violence. Delivered with honesty and sensitivity to the diversity of spiritual beliefs, he examines the roots of this phenomenon and guides you toward more informed ways of thinking about it. You’ll consider how faiths like Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism view concepts like human sacrifice, martyrdom, penitence, and means of violence; the ways religious violence can be directed toward specific races, genders, and cultural groups; the connections between violence and other religions, including Mormonism and Native American faiths; concepts like heresy, demonology, and witch-hunting; and more. Blending history, theology, psychology, sociology, and other fields, Professor Bivins helps you get to the heart of a complex problem that’s broader and deeper (and more optimistic) than you might have thought.
Learn How to Talk about Religious Violence
At the heart of Thinking about Religion and Violence is this central question: What sources shape and feed violent habits of mind and, in turn, the violence that sometimes follows from them?
To start, Professor Bivins grounds his lectures in the central concepts and ideas you’ll need for understanding the subject, mastering the flexibility with which we need to talk about religious violence responsibly, and fashioning your own interpretations. These topics include:
Religion: It’s critical to remember that religion doesn’t exist in a vacuum. However you choose to define it, religion is always mixed up with factors ranging from biology to culture to geography to class. One can’t simply say: “Religion made them do it.” One must look to the role played by culture, society, and the media—whether we’d like to or not.
Violence: Like religion, violence doesn’t exist in a vacuum but is related to politics, human bodies, economics, sex, and law. Violence is also about a kind of forcibly changed relationship between persons and communities (usually in public) and, therefore, quite often impacts the most deeply held beliefs of the people involved.
Other-ing: This term refers to the cultural construction of an enemy figure rooted in older cultural convictions, social hierarchies, and caricatures of different classes of people, all of which draw support from religions (even as religions critique them). The viewpoint of “other-ing” is at the root of concepts related to religious violence like scapegoats, demons, and anti-Semitism.
Cult: Many of the groups regarded as cults emerge from, or end up in, the religious mainstream. An objective definition of a cult involves the presence of several key characteristics, among them a desire for purity and authenticity, the importance of a new kind of authority figure or text, and a new pattern for living that often breaks with mainstream culture.
Holy War: While religious traditions often advocate holy war, they also contain resources for thinking through the moral complexity of “just” warfare. While there’s no clear roadmap or set of conclusions, each tradition has within it an obligation to wrestle morally, conceptually, and strategically about when to wage war.
You’ll also explore sacred texts to see what they have to say about the spiritual purposes of violence, and how their meanings may have been misconstrued and manipulated over time. Some of the fascinating books you’ll explore include n...
230 pages, Audible Audio
Published April 27, 2018
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November 8, 2025
این مجموعه لکچر از گریت کورسز نگاهی گسترده و تاریخی به انواع شکلهای خشونت دینی در ادیان و دورههای مختلف داره. بعد از ارائهی تعاریف اولیه، دکتر بیوینز به سراغ شهادت و قربانی کردن میره و بعد در مورد محاکمات جادوگری، تفکرات آخرالزمانی، خشونت بر علیه زنان، کفر و سرکوب دینی، جنگهای مقدس، بردهداری و فرقهها صحبت میکنه. در این بین به طور ویژه به خشونت دینی در اسرائیل و هند میپردازه و در نهایت مسئلهی خشونت علیه کاتولیکها، یهودیت و مسلمانان رو بررسی میکنه و با نگاهی به تروریسم و ارتباطش با دین مجموعه رو به پایان میرسونه
مهمترین نقطهقوت این مجموعه، تنوع موضوعات و نگاه فرادینی و تاریخی به موضوع خشونت دینی به حساب میاد. لکچرها به جنگ و تفکرات تروریستی بسنده نمیکنند و در مورد موضوعاتی هستند که شاید در نگاه اول در دستهی خشونت دینی قرار نگیرند. علاوه بر این، گستردگی موضوعات این مجموعه رو به یک درس تاریخ و جامعهشناسی هم تبدیل میکنه
اما نقطهضعف مجموعه (یا شاید نقطهی اختلاف من با نویسنده) اینه که به نظرم دکتر بیوینز گاهی خوشبینانه و محتاطانه در مورد دین صحبت میکنه و در بسیاری از موارد استدلال «این تصمیم آدمها بود، نه مشکل از دین» رو مستقیم و بیشتر غیرمستقیم استفاده میکنه که خب خون من رو به جوش میاره. هر چند که در مواردی باهاش موافقم، اما این استدلال رو بیشتر شستن خون از دستان دین میبینم
نکتهی مهمی که در مورد این دوره وجود داره اینه که به موشکافی عمیق دلایل خشونت دینی یا خود ادیان خیلی نمیپردازه و بیشتر در مورد انواع نقابهایی صحبت میکنه که خشونت دینی به صورت میزنه
در مجموع اگر در مورد موضوعات مورد بحث این مجموعه شناخت کمی دارید، این لکچرها شروعی واقعاً عالی هستند. در غیر این صورت هم جمعبندی تمیز و مرتبی به ذهنی میدن که از قبل اطلاعاتی در این موارد انباشت کرده
کتاب و صوتیش رو میتونید از اینجا دانلود کنید
Maede's Books
۱۴۰۴/۸/۴
مهمترین نقطهقوت این مجموعه، تنوع موضوعات و نگاه فرادینی و تاریخی به موضوع خشونت دینی به حساب میاد. لکچرها به جنگ و تفکرات تروریستی بسنده نمیکنند و در مورد موضوعاتی هستند که شاید در نگاه اول در دستهی خشونت دینی قرار نگیرند. علاوه بر این، گستردگی موضوعات این مجموعه رو به یک درس تاریخ و جامعهشناسی هم تبدیل میکنه
اما نقطهضعف مجموعه (یا شاید نقطهی اختلاف من با نویسنده) اینه که به نظرم دکتر بیوینز گاهی خوشبینانه و محتاطانه در مورد دین صحبت میکنه و در بسیاری از موارد استدلال «این تصمیم آدمها بود، نه مشکل از دین» رو مستقیم و بیشتر غیرمستقیم استفاده میکنه که خب خون من رو به جوش میاره. هر چند که در مواردی باهاش موافقم، اما این استدلال رو بیشتر شستن خون از دستان دین میبینم
نکتهی مهمی که در مورد این دوره وجود داره اینه که به موشکافی عمیق دلایل خشونت دینی یا خود ادیان خیلی نمیپردازه و بیشتر در مورد انواع نقابهایی صحبت میکنه که خشونت دینی به صورت میزنه
در مجموع اگر در مورد موضوعات مورد بحث این مجموعه شناخت کمی دارید، این لکچرها شروعی واقعاً عالی هستند. در غیر این صورت هم جمعبندی تمیز و مرتبی به ذهنی میدن که از قبل اطلاعاتی در این موارد انباشت کرده
کتاب و صوتیش رو میتونید از اینجا دانلود کنید
Maede's Books
۱۴۰۴/۸/۴
May 4, 2021
DNF @ 55%
(Ignore the status update that said I made it to 60%; I was just eyeballing that one.)
This was a very comprehensive and thorough examination of religious idealism and how that can manifest into some of the most atrocious, violent, hypocritical and disturbing events in human history. Certainly, not all wars are fought for religious purposes, and not all violence is religiously motivated. We humans can be horrible for all sorts of reason, and getting rid of religion won't get rid of the worst parts of our natures. This series of lectures doesn't set out to convince the listener that religion is only horrible; it just examines how it can be used for terrible things and how various prejudices get rolled up into it or even created by it. It was all very fascinating, and the parts about the current movements here in the US (keeping in mind this was recorded 3 years ago and it's only gotten worse since then) were both fascinating and depressing.
So why the DNF? I kept having apocalyptic nightmares, and I have more than enough to stress me out these days as it is, so I decided to put this one aside, at least for now. I may come back to this one later.
P.S. I checked this out from my library, which for some reason doesn't include the PDFs that these lectures come with when you buy them from audible, so I have no notes on that.
(Ignore the status update that said I made it to 60%; I was just eyeballing that one.)
This was a very comprehensive and thorough examination of religious idealism and how that can manifest into some of the most atrocious, violent, hypocritical and disturbing events in human history. Certainly, not all wars are fought for religious purposes, and not all violence is religiously motivated. We humans can be horrible for all sorts of reason, and getting rid of religion won't get rid of the worst parts of our natures. This series of lectures doesn't set out to convince the listener that religion is only horrible; it just examines how it can be used for terrible things and how various prejudices get rolled up into it or even created by it. It was all very fascinating, and the parts about the current movements here in the US (keeping in mind this was recorded 3 years ago and it's only gotten worse since then) were both fascinating and depressing.
So why the DNF? I kept having apocalyptic nightmares, and I have more than enough to stress me out these days as it is, so I decided to put this one aside, at least for now. I may come back to this one later.
P.S. I checked this out from my library, which for some reason doesn't include the PDFs that these lectures come with when you buy them from audible, so I have no notes on that.
April 15, 2022
More than a year ago, having exhausted our public library's inventory of Great Courses, I subscribed to The Great Courses (now Wondrium) streaming service. Every now and then, I come across a Great Course that makes the entire subscription fee worth every penny paid. This is one of those courses.
(And, yes, "Wondrium" is the absolute stupidest name/brand change ever. Sounds like a bra or gravy flour. I will continue to call it Great Courses Plus, and there's nothing they can do to stop me.)
It would be easy to say religious violence all boils down to religious groups trying to protect their turf by "othering" anyone who doesn't fit into their tightly defined identities, but it's far more complicated than that. Dr. Bivens shows how easily it is for one group to not only "other" another group, but then rationalize perpetrating violence against them while seeing themselves as the victims. Using specific examples from across the ages and around the world, he shows that no single religion has the market on violence and almost none is as tolerant and peaceful as they like to claim. It seems particularly relevant right now given some of the utter nastiness being perpetrated under the guise of religious beliefs.
Dr. Bivins is good about offering historical and cultural contexts for his examples, but this is not an overview of world religions/sects. It would be best to have some basic knowledge of the major religions, more infamous cults and sects, and a decent grasp of history under your belt going into this.
The material can get a bit dark and depressing. That shouldn't be surprising since it's about all the ways people claiming to be righteous and holy act in hateful ways toward those outside their group. I was happy that he finished up the series by offering some commentary on how individuals can resist the tendency toward group violence.
(And, yes, "Wondrium" is the absolute stupidest name/brand change ever. Sounds like a bra or gravy flour. I will continue to call it Great Courses Plus, and there's nothing they can do to stop me.)
It would be easy to say religious violence all boils down to religious groups trying to protect their turf by "othering" anyone who doesn't fit into their tightly defined identities, but it's far more complicated than that. Dr. Bivens shows how easily it is for one group to not only "other" another group, but then rationalize perpetrating violence against them while seeing themselves as the victims. Using specific examples from across the ages and around the world, he shows that no single religion has the market on violence and almost none is as tolerant and peaceful as they like to claim. It seems particularly relevant right now given some of the utter nastiness being perpetrated under the guise of religious beliefs.
Dr. Bivins is good about offering historical and cultural contexts for his examples, but this is not an overview of world religions/sects. It would be best to have some basic knowledge of the major religions, more infamous cults and sects, and a decent grasp of history under your belt going into this.
The material can get a bit dark and depressing. That shouldn't be surprising since it's about all the ways people claiming to be righteous and holy act in hateful ways toward those outside their group. I was happy that he finished up the series by offering some commentary on how individuals can resist the tendency toward group violence.
December 12, 2018
This is an excellent but very depressing course: it has little to do with religion and a lot to do with human nature and our apparent inability to live without a scapegoat/enemy. I would recommend it to anyone who can cope with a realistic view of what people do and have always done: 'othering', excluding and murdering!
December 18, 2024
Thinking About Religion and Violence has given me a lot to think about. It’s a fascinating and well-thought through, if potentially controversial, series of lectures. I really need to listen to it again. He also has some interesting practical ideas in the last chapter.
January 9, 2021
Slow/weak start, but around the ~50% mark it really picks up and then continues to build momentum with a very strong finish.
Solid 3.5 material worthy of a deserved round-up to a 4.
Being as fair and as impartial as possible, you have to look at both sides of the coin. This applies to pretty much everything, including religion. Sure, religious groups do a lot of wonderful things, from volunteering time at soup kitchens, helping people overcome grief, providing hope and inspiration, connecting families with culture/tradition/positive memories of time shared, it even provides social outlets for children and people who otherwise don't get much social activity outside of work/family life.
However, there is a very dark side of religion. A side that creates 'othering', which seems to be the biggest 'evil' of all religions, based off the authors content and perspective. Sinners vs Saved, Believers vs Non-Believers, etc.
My personal opinion, like it or not religion brings out the absolute worst in humanity, and the author explores this in-depth, again in a fair and impartial way.
- self mutilation; fasting/starvation; villainizing sexual intercourse
- war; genocide; suicide; holy war; forced conversion
- cults; racism; white supremacy; Islamic extremism; manifest destiny; hilter/nazis
- oppression of women; slavery; persecution of Jews, homosexuals, and again anyone that is labeled as an 'other'.
All of this is driven by use of unseen all powerful forces and fear of eternal punishment in the afterlife to enforce. All of these actions are justified through 'sacred text', which really baffles me. These sacred texts are so easily corrupted by man, kings, lords, cult leaders, and whoever else you want to name to control people weak enough to succumb to their will.
Continuing that thought, the author gives numerous examples found within the Hebrew bible that focus on 'pour wrath on heathens that do not know my name', 'angry consequences for not following', 'wrath of god to the sons of the disobedient', 'separate the wheat from the chaff' which the author states referring to sinners and believers, and then finally revelations has all sorts of fun text about blood pouring on the ground and even god with a sword coming out of his mouth and angels swinging swords around as well.
Author continues to give the same examples found within the Quran as found above, very similar to the bible.
What I personally find very interesting is how people pick and choose what they like. "It's all about interpretation." So... Mary sue church goer devotes her life to the church, raises healthy and responsible children and all is well. She just overlooks the violent passages and pretends that they aren't there. Turns a blind eye. Same thing goes for an individual of Muslim decent who lives and breaths Islam every day of their life. They focus on their religion of peace, but overlook passages such as...
"“This is what Allah says… ‘Now go and strike the Infidel and devote to destruction all that they have. Do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.” Surah 27:63"
Then you have group B... who takes these things literally and puts people into cages and burns them alive with fire.
Or jumping back to Christianity/the Bible:
"You may purchase male or female slaves from among the foreigners who live among you. You may also purchase the children of such resident foreigners, including those who have been born in your land. You may treat them as your property, passing them on to your children as a permanent inheritance. You may treat your slaves like this, but the people of Israel, your relatives, must never be treated this way. Leviticus 25:44-46"
Yeah... let's teach our kids all about this book, but... "oh honey, just ignore that part about slavery. He didn't really mean it when he said that. This is what it really means. We pick and choose what we like and don't like. This is how it works!"
"But... that's the way they did things back then!" Does that type of justification really work for you? Because it doesn't work for me. Child rape is child rape. Slavery is slavery. Wrong is wrong. Right is right. If a movie for example, opens up with a horrific scene that pushes beyond the comfort of what is acceptable (murder, rape, whatever-you name) ... do you just skip over that part and talk about other scenes within the movie? Like, ignore the fact that black people are being hanged and raped and tormented, because you know... at the 20 minute mark there is a really good scene about the benefits of agriculture and that's what we really need to focus on.
If I start going down the monetization path of organized religion I will really get on my soap box. People who literally speak once a week, and get paid enough to operate a mega church, drive big cars, support large families, and all the power and corruption (from papacy days to present day)... Okay okay.. I need to stop.
Moving on to wrap things up.
What I do appreciate is that the author offers a path towards healing when it comes to religion and violence. Self analysis being number one. Think about what you believe, what you read, self educate yourself, have a goal towards peace, do not support organizations or vendors that conduct child labor for example, etc.
People who get offended by this type of material, they like keeping their eyes closed and do not want to know the whole story. Life is easier that way.
Highly recommend this.
Again, slow start, soup kitchens are great, actually take the time to view all sides of the coin, and finally dig deep and think for yourself.
Right is right and wrong is wrong.
Solid 3.5 material worthy of a deserved round-up to a 4.
Being as fair and as impartial as possible, you have to look at both sides of the coin. This applies to pretty much everything, including religion. Sure, religious groups do a lot of wonderful things, from volunteering time at soup kitchens, helping people overcome grief, providing hope and inspiration, connecting families with culture/tradition/positive memories of time shared, it even provides social outlets for children and people who otherwise don't get much social activity outside of work/family life.
However, there is a very dark side of religion. A side that creates 'othering', which seems to be the biggest 'evil' of all religions, based off the authors content and perspective. Sinners vs Saved, Believers vs Non-Believers, etc.
My personal opinion, like it or not religion brings out the absolute worst in humanity, and the author explores this in-depth, again in a fair and impartial way.
- self mutilation; fasting/starvation; villainizing sexual intercourse
- war; genocide; suicide; holy war; forced conversion
- cults; racism; white supremacy; Islamic extremism; manifest destiny; hilter/nazis
- oppression of women; slavery; persecution of Jews, homosexuals, and again anyone that is labeled as an 'other'.
All of this is driven by use of unseen all powerful forces and fear of eternal punishment in the afterlife to enforce. All of these actions are justified through 'sacred text', which really baffles me. These sacred texts are so easily corrupted by man, kings, lords, cult leaders, and whoever else you want to name to control people weak enough to succumb to their will.
Continuing that thought, the author gives numerous examples found within the Hebrew bible that focus on 'pour wrath on heathens that do not know my name', 'angry consequences for not following', 'wrath of god to the sons of the disobedient', 'separate the wheat from the chaff' which the author states referring to sinners and believers, and then finally revelations has all sorts of fun text about blood pouring on the ground and even god with a sword coming out of his mouth and angels swinging swords around as well.
Author continues to give the same examples found within the Quran as found above, very similar to the bible.
What I personally find very interesting is how people pick and choose what they like. "It's all about interpretation." So... Mary sue church goer devotes her life to the church, raises healthy and responsible children and all is well. She just overlooks the violent passages and pretends that they aren't there. Turns a blind eye. Same thing goes for an individual of Muslim decent who lives and breaths Islam every day of their life. They focus on their religion of peace, but overlook passages such as...
"“This is what Allah says… ‘Now go and strike the Infidel and devote to destruction all that they have. Do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.” Surah 27:63"
Then you have group B... who takes these things literally and puts people into cages and burns them alive with fire.
Or jumping back to Christianity/the Bible:
"You may purchase male or female slaves from among the foreigners who live among you. You may also purchase the children of such resident foreigners, including those who have been born in your land. You may treat them as your property, passing them on to your children as a permanent inheritance. You may treat your slaves like this, but the people of Israel, your relatives, must never be treated this way. Leviticus 25:44-46"
Yeah... let's teach our kids all about this book, but... "oh honey, just ignore that part about slavery. He didn't really mean it when he said that. This is what it really means. We pick and choose what we like and don't like. This is how it works!"
"But... that's the way they did things back then!" Does that type of justification really work for you? Because it doesn't work for me. Child rape is child rape. Slavery is slavery. Wrong is wrong. Right is right. If a movie for example, opens up with a horrific scene that pushes beyond the comfort of what is acceptable (murder, rape, whatever-you name) ... do you just skip over that part and talk about other scenes within the movie? Like, ignore the fact that black people are being hanged and raped and tormented, because you know... at the 20 minute mark there is a really good scene about the benefits of agriculture and that's what we really need to focus on.
If I start going down the monetization path of organized religion I will really get on my soap box. People who literally speak once a week, and get paid enough to operate a mega church, drive big cars, support large families, and all the power and corruption (from papacy days to present day)... Okay okay.. I need to stop.
Moving on to wrap things up.
What I do appreciate is that the author offers a path towards healing when it comes to religion and violence. Self analysis being number one. Think about what you believe, what you read, self educate yourself, have a goal towards peace, do not support organizations or vendors that conduct child labor for example, etc.
People who get offended by this type of material, they like keeping their eyes closed and do not want to know the whole story. Life is easier that way.
Highly recommend this.
Again, slow start, soup kitchens are great, actually take the time to view all sides of the coin, and finally dig deep and think for yourself.
Right is right and wrong is wrong.
October 10, 2018
A bit esoteric at times, but very good. It is a well needed ‘course’ for our times, and eye-opening to really think about all of our societal malfunction. So much of what we Experience today really has the underpinnings of violence or ‘othering’ of those who are different from “us”. Religious violence has long and often unseen effects... and I think the society we live in today is pervaded by those tendencies.
May 19, 2023
Hard to sum up 24 lectures briefly, and there's some good information here, but the weight of unacknowledged (and presumably unquestioned) assumptions is insurmountable. Though the supposed 'outside perspective' on the topic is what's extended to the listener, in reality every statement or prescription is swimming in a humanist (and thus, ultimately, Christian) worldview (not that the professor is a Christian -- perhaps, perhaps not -- but the pose of neutrality holds no weight).
Further, the expansive definition of "violence" on offer includes nearly any behavior of which the speaker would like you to disapprove (rather than actual violence), and thus renders the word nearly meaningless. This is fatal to the educational project, as the reader begins the lectures assuming a shared definition between instructor and student, but ends with that goodwill squandered among too many meaningless statements.
Pair this with an early attempt to define 'religion' so broadly that, while adherents would undoubtedly find themselves encompassed by it, they would be hard-pressed to exclude anyone from it, either, and you have what amounts to plaintive objections that humans resolve conflicts with violence. Unfortunately, while there are attempts made to explore causes qua religion, the explanations provided all distill to humanist presumptions. Therefore, the proposed solutions are all derived from humanism, and - relying heavily on that unqueried premise - collide into the same stumbling block all such approaches from the 'Religious Studies' academy do: because the Secular exists as a mirror of the Sacred and owes its derivation to it, it is utterly enmeshed in its own unacknowledged religious assumptions -- and results in a 'the blind lecturing the sighted' conflict of its own.
(I could say more about the elevation of the State into a deific entity that can impose the lecturer's preferred humanistic resolutions, but I'd prefer to let that final lecture suffocate under its own irony).
Further, the expansive definition of "violence" on offer includes nearly any behavior of which the speaker would like you to disapprove (rather than actual violence), and thus renders the word nearly meaningless. This is fatal to the educational project, as the reader begins the lectures assuming a shared definition between instructor and student, but ends with that goodwill squandered among too many meaningless statements.
Pair this with an early attempt to define 'religion' so broadly that, while adherents would undoubtedly find themselves encompassed by it, they would be hard-pressed to exclude anyone from it, either, and you have what amounts to plaintive objections that humans resolve conflicts with violence. Unfortunately, while there are attempts made to explore causes qua religion, the explanations provided all distill to humanist presumptions. Therefore, the proposed solutions are all derived from humanism, and - relying heavily on that unqueried premise - collide into the same stumbling block all such approaches from the 'Religious Studies' academy do: because the Secular exists as a mirror of the Sacred and owes its derivation to it, it is utterly enmeshed in its own unacknowledged religious assumptions -- and results in a 'the blind lecturing the sighted' conflict of its own.
(I could say more about the elevation of the State into a deific entity that can impose the lecturer's preferred humanistic resolutions, but I'd prefer to let that final lecture suffocate under its own irony).
December 17, 2021
Clearly he's trying to take religious violence seriously but is too busy trying to still leave religion looking decent to be totally honest. Like he completely ignores some of the most violent actual scriptures and practices in favor of less distasteful examples.
And then there's the complete defense of cults to a ridiculous and frankly dangerous degree. He talks about violence against Mormons without so much as mentioning Mormon violence! He talks about Joseph Smith's death without a whisper of why he was killed and breezes by Brigham Young without so much as a word about his atrocities in the name of his religion. Mentions JWs as well without any criticism, so I guess he's just fine with internal justifications of harm within religions. I guess he didn't address much of that in any religion. It's absurd. Never mind that his only discussion of non-belief is just a stick mention of how he doesn't like the New Atheists and nothing about how non-believers have been treated over time. Nope, who cares about non-belief, better protect the poor helpless little Mormons :( and falls into the trap of only condemning the CCP and not Falun Gong as though they can't both be dangerous. FLG has a fucking compound, for fuck's sake! He says brainwashing - like the concept as a whole - is basically not real and is military propaganda! This dude loses his shit towards the end of this course
I found a lot of this interesting but generally I 1 star things I find exceptionally problematic and this is definitely one of those things.
And then there's the complete defense of cults to a ridiculous and frankly dangerous degree. He talks about violence against Mormons without so much as mentioning Mormon violence! He talks about Joseph Smith's death without a whisper of why he was killed and breezes by Brigham Young without so much as a word about his atrocities in the name of his religion. Mentions JWs as well without any criticism, so I guess he's just fine with internal justifications of harm within religions. I guess he didn't address much of that in any religion. It's absurd. Never mind that his only discussion of non-belief is just a stick mention of how he doesn't like the New Atheists and nothing about how non-believers have been treated over time. Nope, who cares about non-belief, better protect the poor helpless little Mormons :( and falls into the trap of only condemning the CCP and not Falun Gong as though they can't both be dangerous. FLG has a fucking compound, for fuck's sake! He says brainwashing - like the concept as a whole - is basically not real and is military propaganda! This dude loses his shit towards the end of this course
I found a lot of this interesting but generally I 1 star things I find exceptionally problematic and this is definitely one of those things.
September 15, 2020
Jason is a colleague and a friend, so this is not really an objective review. But he does a great job with a course that is much more complicated than the (mostly) history courses I've listened to so far. Not only does he need to bring theory down to earth, he also needs to shake some rather stuck prejudices about religion and violence in the process. Most of the discussion revolves around different beliefs and practices of religious traditions and groups, but the theoretical bits are much more interesting. What I missed was an even more forceful discussion of the social conditions in which religious legitimations--because that is what this book is mostly about--kick in and exacerbate the situation. Looking at religionS does not really help much in discerning why violence happens in the first place. But there are pointers at this direction, which I hope the listeners pick up and savour. Great, clear narration and never a dull moment.
February 3, 2025
"Much of religious violence comes from those who are sure they hold all the final answers."
Wow! This course covers everything, and gives plenty of supplemental material to further any interests. I took the Peace Studies course, so I was aware of using religion to dehumanize your target. This is a good reference book to have if topic interests you.
Wow! This course covers everything, and gives plenty of supplemental material to further any interests. I took the Peace Studies course, so I was aware of using religion to dehumanize your target. This is a good reference book to have if topic interests you.
April 22, 2020
“[L]e philosophe n'a jamais tué de prêtres et le prêtre a tué beaucoup de philosophes...
(The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has killed a great many philosophers.)”
― Denis Diderot, Political Writings
(The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has killed a great many philosophers.)”
― Denis Diderot, Political Writings
June 9, 2020
Very interesting and very timely for American society now.
November 21, 2020
Great look that the seeds of violence are in every religious tradition... as are the seeds of peace. It is the circumstances and alienation of believers that leads to its expression.
December 1, 2024
An overview of the different forms violence takes in relation to religion. From the beginnings of monotheism in the western world up to today.
January 4, 2020
Fantasic background of religious inspired violence throughout history and recently. I've read it several times and each time I get more out of it. Very easy to listen too also as an audiobook.
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