ATS3157 Religion, politics and violence

Religious texts from many traditions frequently invoke imagery of violence, war and struggle while also celebrating ideals of harmony, peace and justice. Do such texts make religions responsible for promoting violence, or is this a consequence of specific contexts, political, social and economic that shape the way such texts are interpreted? Is there any place for such rhetoric in contemporary society? This unit looks at a range of texts from Eastern religions and from Judaism, Christianity and Islam, in both past and present manifestations, to consider how their interpreters have engaged with the question of legitimizing violence and war against minorities or other groups in society and how such imagery may shape their understanding of an ideal world.