Religion and Violence

Since September 2013 the Center for Religious Studies has presented interdisciplinary workshops and seminars on the role of religion as a factor with for organized violence and for peace building.

The aim of this project is to analyze the relationship between “religion” and violence, considering “religion” not as an independent and decontextualized variable, but as a factor linked to politics, society, culture, economy and ethics. The following questions lead the research:

• If and how is possible violence in the name of religion;
• If and how religion changes while interacting with violence;
• Why does violence need to appeal to religion?
• If and how religion could play a role to mitigate violence;
• Which is the relationship among divine images, religious imageries and violence?

The project will address these questions in an interdisciplinary horizon, considering six perspectives:

1. the role of the sacred texts;
2. the impact and the role of religion in the globalized and partially secularized world;
3. the relationship between religious imagery and socio-political practices;
4. the anthropological philosophical dimension deal with the relation between religious imaginary and socio-political practices of individual and group;
5. the religious science approach: this shall clear the difference among faiths, religions and theology and the way in which they take in part to the dynamics between religion and violence;
6. the importance of the women in the conflicts.

Despite of the impossibility of resolving these issues, this interdisciplinary research  will contribute to a better understanding of the contemporary context.