Theorising Religion and Violence: René Girard and Samuel Huntington

In this module, we think about two theories on the relationship between religion and conflict, offered by René Girard and Samuel Huntington. We focus on: (i) Girard’s argument that religion exists to limit violence, which actually stems from “mimetic rivalry” - the desire of people to have what others possess; (ii) how religion removes the need for conflict according to Girard by producing scapegoats which bind individuals together; (iii) Huntington’s “clash of civilisations” thesis, which argues that markers of difference between civilisations, like religion, will the main cause of conflict in the post-Cold War world; (iv) the popularisation of Huntington’s writings as a way of framing the relations between the Muslim and Christian worlds after 9/11; (v) the argument, derived from Girard, that the risk of conflict between Christianity and Islam is not due to intrinsic antipathy, but rather the process of “othering”.
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This lecture is part of a larger course exploring the relationship between religion and conflict: massolit.io/co...
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MASSOLIT works with university academics to produce short video lectures in the arts, sciences, humanities and social sciences. It is available to schools and colleges on an institutional license as well as via private subscription: www.massolit.i...