Religion, although in its simplest form a belief or belief in an external force outside of man, is believed to have existed since the existence of man himself. There is a connection in the existence of religion on the one hand with the existence of human culture and civilization on the other. That is, since the beginning of religion or belief included in human life and—the rules—human life already existed in religion. It is very difficult to talk about the relationship between religion and violence. It is difficult in the sense of finding common ground agreed upon by some parties who disagree on this. Phenomenological studies that have been very hard show the relationship between the two is not spared from the reduction process that is criticized by many parties. Instead of seeing that violence is linked to many socio-economic-cultural contexts, phenomenological studies immediately ultimately see religion—its meaning, articulation and implementation—as the main factors that trigger violence. The Scapegoat Theory is one of them. René Girard goes so far as to say that not only does violence seem real and violent because of religion, but even rituals in religion do not escape violence, in this case it is a rite of sacrifice. Therefore, it is not surprising that then what happens to modern society due to the looseness of religious values that are in fact made to reduce and channel this violent desire. His excesses then because violence is not channeled through the realm of neutralization, he then appears in the social realm in the form of acts of violence that are no longer sacred, even considered evil. This book will explore Girard's interpretation of the sacrificial rite, as well as outline how Islam views Qurbani worship. With this we hope that there will be a balance of information about the worship of Sacrifice itself.

Argues that the modern Western world's reductive understanding of sacrifice simplifies an enormously broad and dynamic cluster of religious activities, drawing on a comparative study of Vedic and Jewish sacrificial practices to demonstrate not only that sacrifice has no single, essential, identifying characteristic, but also that the elements most frequently attributed to such acts--death and violence--are not universal.

Does religion cause much of the world’s violence? Is religion inherently violent? Would violence disappear if religion did? Is true religion a force for peace? Is religion a mask for power and self-interest? What aspects of religion make violence more—or less—likely? Religion and Violence: A Religious Studies Approach explores the potential of classic social theories to shed light on the relationships between religion and violence. This accessible and engaging book starts from the premise that both religion and violence are ordinary elements of social life and that rather than causing violence religion plays a crucial role in the management of violence. Ideal for any student approaching the topic of religion and violence for the first time, this core textbook includes chapter overviews and summaries, guides for applying theory to real-world events, discussion questions, and case studies. Further teaching and learning resources are available on the accompanying companion website.

The military-industrial complex in the United States has grown exponentially in recent decades, yet the realities of war remain invisible to most Americans. The U.S has created a culture in which sacrificial rhetoric is the norm when dealing in war. This culture has been enabled because popular American Christian understandings of redemption rely so heavily on the sacrificial. 'U.S War-Culture, Sacrifice and Salvation' explores how the concept of Christian redemption has been manipulated to create a mentality of "necessary sacrifice". The study reveals the links between Christian notions of salvation and sacrifice and the aims of the military-industrial complex.

Religious violence is on the rise globally. Hardly a day passes without news of a vicious attack being carried out in the name of religion. Religion can, of course, bring security to many but its perversion leads to insecurity for all. Why is this? How and why do so many claim to act on God’s behalf to inflict deliberate human suffering? In Religion and International Security Lee Marsden explores the return of religion as a major cause of insecurity in the contemporary world. He guides readers through the different theoretical perspectives surrounding the study of religion and security, arguing that the secular bias that marginalized the role played by religion in recent times must change to reflect the realities of the emerging post-secular international order. Packed with examples from around the world, the book offers a thoughtful and nuanced exploration of religion and security through key themes such as religiously motivated and inspired terrorism and warfare, the human security of women and gay people in religiously dominated communities, and the capacity for religious communities and leaders to heal conflict through peacebuilding. For those who would rather deny a role for religion when considering security, the genie is truly out of the bottle. This book seeks to understand this phenomenon and how to come to terms with it.

This compelling book argues that American patriotism is a civil religion of blood sacrifice, which periodically kills its children to keep the group together. The flag is the sacred object of this religion; its sacrificial imperative is a secret which the group keeps from itself to survive. Expanding Durkheim's theory of the totem taboo as the organizing principle of enduring groups, Carolyn Marvin uncovers the system of sacrifice and regeneration which constitutes American nationalism, shows why historical instances of these rituals succeed or fail in unifying the group, and explains how mass media are essential to the process. American culture is depicted as ritually structured by a fertile center and sacrificial borders of death. Violence plays a key part in its identity. In essence, nationalism is neither quaint historical residue nor atavistic extremism, but a living tradition which defines American life.

An examination of the practice and philosophy of sacrifice in three religious traditions In the book of Genesis, God tests the faith of the Hebrew patriarch Abraham by demanding that he sacrifice the life of his beloved son, Isaac. Bound by common admiration for Abraham, the religious traditions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam also promote the practice of giving up human and natural goods to attain religious ideals. Each tradition negotiates the moral dilemmas posed by Abraham’s story in different ways, while retaining the willingness to perform sacrifice as an identifying mark of religious commitment. This book considers the way in which Jews, Christians, and Muslims refer to “sacrifice”—not only as ritual offerings, but also as the donation of goods, discipline, suffering, and martyrdom. Weddle highlights objections to sacrifice within these traditions as well, presenting voices of dissent and protest in the name of ethical duty. Sacrifice forfeits concrete goods for abstract benefits, a utopian vision of human community, thereby sparking conflict with those who do not share the same ideals. Weddle places sacrifice in the larger context of the worldviews of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, using this nearly universal religious act as a means of examining similarities of practice and differences of meaning among these important world religions. This book takes the concept of sacrifice across these three religions, and offers a cross-cultural approach to understanding its place in history and deep-rooted traditions.