Acts of terror are everywhere! Not one day goes by without hearing about the latest suicide bomb in Baghdad, knife stabbing in Germany, or shooting spree in France or in the United States. A Christian extremist preacher claims that homosexuals deserve to die because he considers their lifestyle to be sinful; groups like ISIS perpetrate genocide against religious minorities and call for global jihad against infidels; Buddhist monks in Myanmar persecute the Rohingya for fear that the Muslim minority destroy their country and religion. All these actions seem to be somehow religiously motivated, where the actors claim to act in accordance with their beliefs. In the midst of this spiral of violence seen across traditions and geographical locations, there is a pressing need to understand why people act as such in the name of their faith. The Global Impact of Religious Violence examines why individuals and groups sometimes commit irremediable atrocities, and offers some solutions on how to counter religiously inspired violence.

Why do religious militants think their actions are right or righteous? What keeps me from acting like them? Why do some religious persons act on their beliefs in charitable, inspiring and deeply humane ways? Is secularism the solution to religious violence, or is it part of the problem? This Element explores the vexed issue of violence done in the name of God, looking at the topic through the lens of peace and conflict studies, religious studies and historical studies. The beliefs of various communities, religious and secular, are explored, looking at how convictions inhibit and enable violence. This Element aims to foster a deeper and more nuanced understanding of the promises and perils of religion so that readers can better respond to a world filled with violence.

This publication seeks to challenge established thinking about the causes of violence in Northern Nigeria. It explores immediate and long-term effects of that violence through reflection, study, and survey of previous research. The fundamental argument within is that ethnic, political and religious violence has affected Christian perspectives and core values and thus has hampered efforts towards just peacemaking.

This book examines the connection between religion and violence in the Western traditions of the three Abrahamic faiths, from ancient to modern times. It addresses a gap in the scholarly debate on the nature of religious violence by bringing scholars that specialize in pre-modern religions and scriptural traditions into the same sphere of discussion as those specializing in contemporary manifestations of religious violence. Moving beyond the question of the “authenticity” of religious violence, this book brings together scholars from a variety of disciplines. Contributors explore the central role that religious texts have played in encouraging, as well as confronting, violence. The interdisciplinary conversation that takes place challenges assumptions that religious violence is a modern problem that can be fully understood without reference to religious scriptures, beliefs, or history. Each chapter focuses its analysis on a particular case study from a distinct historical period. Taken as a whole, these chapters attest to the persistent relationship between religion and violence that links the ancient and contemporary worlds. This is a dynamic collection of explorations into how religion and violence intersect. As such, it will be a key resource for any scholar of Religious Studies, Theology and Religion and Violence, as well as Christian, Jewish, and Islamic Studies.

Religion and violence are intrinsic to the human story. By tracing their roots in human experience, Meral reveals that it is violence that shapes religion.

Well-being is a familiar term in academic literature and public discourse. It captures the imagination by addressing issues related to the social good and the quest for personal happiness. It embraces a wide variety of concerns: age, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, self-esteem, health, class, education, institution and ecosystems, among many issues. Well-being studies focus on the welfare of the world and its inhabitants, bringing holistic and transformative perspectives to bear. The Christian faith has been a powerful contributor to this tradition over the centuries. Human beings, made in the image of God, are called to live transformed lives through the Spirit of Christ in communities of grace and reconciliation for the benefit of others, caring for our planet in the expectation of God’s new creation. What difference does the study of well-being from a Christian perspective make?

In today’s culture, media outlets have as much influence on the general public as ever. Migration is an issue that has sparked commentary throughout the globe, leading to many dissimilar viewpoints. These news systems have the ability to convey mass messages regarding these disputes, which could lead to a wide range of socio-cultural implications depending on the intent and nature of these reports. The Handbook of Research on the Global Impact of Media on Migration Issues provides emerging research exploring the theoretical and practical aspects of media structures and implications of media institutions tackling migration issues and related problems. Featuring coverage on a broad range of topics such as human trafficking, global peace, and modern slavery, this book is ideally designed for reporters, journalists, policymakers, government officials, communication specialists, industry professionals, students, and scholars seeking current research on the modern development of migration.

Religious Appeals in Power Politics examines how states use, or attempt to use, confessional appeals to religious belief and conscience to advance political strategies and objectives. Through case studies of the United States, Saudi Arabia, and Russia, Peter S. Henne demonstrates that religion, although not as high profile or well-funded a tool as economic sanctions or threats of military force, remains a potent weapon in international relations. Public policy analysis often minimizes the role of religion, favoring military or economic matters as the "important" arenas of policy debate. As Henne shows, however, at transformative moments in political history, states turn to faith-based appeals to integrate or fragment international coalitions. Henne highlights Saudi Arabia's 1960s rivalry with Egypt, the United States's post-9/11 leadership in the global war on terrorism, and the Russian Federation's contemporary expansionism both to reveal the presence and power of calls for religious unity and to emphasize the uncertainty and anxiety such appeals can create. Religious Appeals in Power Politics offers a bold corrective to those who consider religion as tangential to military or economic might.

Dealing With Regional Conflicts of Global Importance offers a comprehensive examination of the post-Cold War global landscape, focusing on the outbreak and escalation of local and regional conflicts that have far-reaching implications. From the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan to the civil war in Ethiopia's Tigray Region and the Russia-brokered peace agreement in the Caucasus, these conflicts have shaped the international stage and pose significant challenges to global stability. Policymakers and profes sionals in the fields of current affairs and security studies can find essential tools in this book for understanding and addressing the violent conflicts occurring since 1991. Drawing on geoeconomics, geopolitics, security studies, and humanitarian perspectives, Dr. Pio tr Pietrzak, an expert in International Relations Theory, Conflict Resolution Strategies, and International Law, delves into the roots of competition and cooperation among states. He explores influential concepts and debates, including Francis Fukuyama's "The End of History," Samuel Huntington's "Clash of Civilizations," and Joseph Nye's notion of Soft Power, to provide a theoretical and analytical framework for comprehending the complexities of global power dynamics. Covering an array of topics, from the regionalization of conflict and intervention to the role of international institutions, this book examines interactions between The United Nations, World Bank, Regional Organizations Like Cbss, VYSEHRAD Group, and Asean, and Geopolitical Actors Such as the Europan Union, Russia, CH Ina, and the united states. It Also Delves Into Critical Issues Such as Human Rights, Genocide, WARTIME, WARTIME sexual violence, and the concept of humanitarian intervention.

"Reviewed here is global research on how 13 types of Voluntary Membership Associations (MAs) have significantly or substantially had global impacts on human history, societies, and life. Such outcomes have occurred especially in the past 200+ years since the Industrial Revolution circa 1800 CE, and its accompanying Organizational Revolution. Emphasized are longer-term, historical, and societal or multinational impacts of MAs, rather than more micro-level (individual) or meso-level (organizational) outcomes. MAs are distinctively structured, with power coming from the membership, not top-down. The author has characterized MAs as the dark matter of the nonprofit/third sector, using an astrophysical metaphor. Astrophysicists have shown that most physical matter in the universe is dark in the sense of being unseen, not stars or planets."--Page 4 of cover