The Role of Religion in Conflict and Peacebuilding

This report considers how religion interacts with the human experience at the global, institutional, group and individual level

Abstract

The role of religion in conflict and peacebuilding has all too often been depicted in binary terms: it is seen as a source either of violence or of reconciliation. This simplification obscures the complexity of the subject and shows that there is no common understanding of the central terms of the debate. Religion is never a static or isolated entity but should rather be understood as a fluid system of variables, contingent upon a large number of contextual and historical factors. By observing how religion operates and interacts with other aspects of the human experience at the global, institutional, group and individual levels, this report aims to gain a more nuanced understanding of its role (or potential role) in both conflict and peacebuilding.

Citation

Silvestri, S.; Mayall, J. The Role of Religion in Conflict and Peacebuilding. British Academy, London, UK (2015) 96 pp.

The Role of Religion in Conflict and Peacebuilding

Updates to this page

Published 1 January 2015