An anthology that provides the comprehensive overview for understanding the relationship between religion and violence - historically, culturally, and in the contemporary world. It includes original source materials justifying violence from various religious perspectives: Hindu, Chinese, Christian, Muslim, Jewish, and Buddhist.

Acknowledgments ix Introduction: Why Is Religion Violent and Violence Religious? 1 Part I: Religious Justifications for Violence Introduction to Part I 7 Chapter 1. Kautilya 13 "Forms of Treacherous Fights," the Arthashastra 13 Chapter 2. Sun Tzu 17 "Laying Plans," The Art of War 17 Chapter 3. The Bhagavad Gita 20 The Bhagavad Gita in the Mahabharata 20 Chapter 4. Soho Takuan 25 "Annals of the Sword Taia," The Unfettered Mind 25 Chapter 5. The Hebrew Bible 29 Deuteronomy 20 31 Exodus 23 32 Chapter 6. The Qur'an 35 Surah 2 ("The Cow") 36 Chapter 7. Thomas Aquinas 41 "Whether It Is Always Sinful to Wage War?" Summa Theologica 41 Chapter 8. Reinhold Niebuhr 45 "Why the Christian Church Is Not Pacifist" 45 Chapter 9. Michael Bray 55 "A Time for Revolution?" A Time to Kill 56 Chapter 10. Abd al-Salam Faraj 62 The Neglected Duty 63 Chapter 11. Meir Kahane 69 "War and Peace," The Jewish Idea 69 Chapter 12. Shoko Asahara 75 Declaring Myself the Christ 76 Disaster Comes to the Land of the Rising Sun 77 Chapter 13. 9/11 Conspirator 82 "Last Instructions of 9/11" 83 Part II: Understanding the Religious Role in Violence Introduction to Part II 93 Chapter 14. Emile Durkheim 100 Elementary Forms of the Religious Life 101 Chapter 15. Henri Hubert and Marcel Mauss 108 "Conclusion," Sacrifice: Its Nature and Function 109 Chapter 16. Sigmund Freud 115 Totem and Taboo 116 Chapter 17. Rene Girard 127 "Sacrifice," Violence and the Sacred 128 Chapter 18. Walter Burkert 141 Homo Necans 141 Chapter 19. Maurice Bloch 152 Prey into Hunter 152 Chapter 20. Georges Bataille 167 Theory of Religion 167 Chapter 21. Karl Marx 174 Critique of Hegel's Philosophy of Right 174 Chapter 22. Nancy Jay 178 "Sacrifice and Descent," Throughout Your Generations Forever 178 Chapter 23. Elaine Scarry 190 The Body in Pain 191 Chapter 24. Jean Baudrillard 201 The Spirit of Terrorism 201 Chapter 25. Ashis Nandy 210 "The Discreet Charm of Indian Terrorism," The Savage Freud and Other Essays 210 Closing Comments: The Connection between War and Sacrifice 217 Selected Bibliography 223 Permissions 229 About the Editors 231 Index 233

"This book is recommended for any person studying the nature of violence in religion and the impact the notion of sacrifice has on expressions of faith."--Wessel, Bentley, Studia Historiae Ecclesiasticae "This collective volume focused quite well on the two main aspects of religious violence, warfare and sacrifice. It is very well structured and informative for both for scholars and the general public. It introduces the reader in the field of religion and violence by leading him to select sources, past and present, and this is quite important because it makes him think about his own close relationship with religion and violence. There is also a useful select bibliography on the issue situated at the end the volume that readers can use as a starting point for further exploring the issue."--Alexandros Sakellariou, Journal of Religion and Violence

"An outstanding contribution to the literature on religion and violence. This anthology of twenty-five writings about religious violence, from classical religious texts, contemporary religious activists, and scholarly interpretations of religious violence in its symbolic forms, is sure to become the foundational source book for this emerging field of study."—Donald K. Swearer, Swarthmore College and Harvard Divinity School"This brilliantly compiled compendium explores the complex relationship between religion and violence. The readings, which span two millennia, force us to confront a painful truth—those who aim to kill in the name of God will find legitimacy in carefully selected sacred texts. Highly recommended for anyone hoping to understand humanity's persistent attraction to holy war and sacrifice."—Jessica Stern, Harvard University"Violence and terror in the name of God are as old as religion itself. Princeton Readings in Religion and Violence is a timely and important collection that will be welcomed by experts and students alike. Its combination of religious texts with writings of theologians, philosophers, social scientists, and religious extremists, offers a unique approach to understanding the origins, nature, history, and justification of violence in religions' holy and unholy wars."—John L. Esposito, Georgetown University"This book introduces readers to primary sources regarding various justifications of violence by diverse religions and to interpreters who address the integral relationship between the two. The authors provide helpful introductions to each selection, together with thoughtful syntheses in the introductory and concluding essays of the book."—June O'Connor, University of California, Riverside"The topic of religion and violence has become a prominent concern in religious studies, and, by linking sacrifice, religion, and violence, this book makes a valuable contribution to the field. The book's handy format will make it a useful resource for general readers, scholars, and students."—Bruce Chilton, author of Abraham's Curse: The Roots of Violence in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam"This is a fascinating and instructive collection of carefully chosen excerpts from sacred texts and chronicles, first-person essays, chapters, and other primary source documents, as well as classic sociological, psychological, and theoretical treatises—each addressing the link between religion and violence. The collection examines a topic that is rich in significance for theorists as well as readers of the daily headlines, and is a terrific sourcebook for students and teachers."—Scott Appleby, University of Notre Dame