Mark Juergensmeyer is distinguished professor emeritus of sociology and global studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a pioneer in global studies, focusing on religious violence, religious nationalism, and conflict resolution. He has published more than three hundred articles and thirty books, including Why God Needs War and War Needs God (Oxford 2025) and the Oxford Handbook of Religion and Violence (Oxford 2013, co-edited with Margo Kitts and Michael Jerryson). His award-winning Terror in the Mind of God: The Global Rise of Religious Violence is in its 4th edition.

• I . Basic Questions 1. Does religion cause violence? 2. Why are religion and violence often linked? 3. What kind of religion is associated with violence? 4. What kind of violence is associated with religion? 5. Hasn't religion been violent throughout history? 6. Are some religions more violent than others? 7. Do religious teachings goad people into violence? 8. Is organized religion the problem? II. Religious Terrorism 1. What is religious terrorism? 2. Does any religion sanction terrorism? 3. Was ISIS (the Islamic State) a religious movement? 4. Are Hamas and Hezbollah religious movements? 5. Are Christian terrorists motivated by religion? III. Religion and War 1. Why do clergy bless armies? 2. Is war in every religious tradition? 3. Is God always on one side? 4. Does God ever fight? 5. Do images of war make religions more militant? 6. What are holy wars? 7. What are apocalyptic wars? 8. What are cosmic wars? IV. Symbolic Violence 1. Why are religious symbols frequently bloody? 2. Do religious scriptures justify war? 3. Is violent death glorified in religion? 4. Why do some religious persons pierce and flagellate the body? 5. Do scriptural images of violence lead to real violence? V. Martyrdom and Sacrifice 1. Is sacrifice central to all religions? 2. Has any religion sanctioned human sacrifice? 3. What kind of animals are killed in animal sacrifice? 4. Is self-sacrifice allowed in all religions? 5. Is martyrdom the result of self-sacrifice? VI. Religious Discrimination 1. Does discrimination lead to violence? 2. Why are people outside one's religion regarded as less than human? 3. Are heretics in one's own religion hated more than people in other religions? VII. Human rights and violence 1. Is slavery permitted in religious scriptures? 2. Are women second-class citizens in religious cultures? 3. Are gay and trans people persecuted by religion? VIII. State Violence and Religion1. Does religion give legitimacy to the violence of a state? 2. Is religious nationalism always violent? 3. Are nations with an official religion more violent? IX. Questions for specific traditions A. Islam 1. Is Islam more violent than other religions? 2. Was Muhammad a prophet, a warrior, or both? 3. Did Islam spread through the sword? 4. What does <"jihad> " mean? 5. Do Sunnis and Shi'a hate each other? B. Christianity 1. Does Christianity have a history of violence? 2. Did Jesus advocate <"a sword> " or <"turning the other cheek> "? 3. Why is an execution device the symbol of Christianity? 4. Does the Book of Revelation foresee a great war? 5.Were the early Christians pacifists? 6. What is the Christian doctrine of <"Just War> "? 7. What about the Crusades and the Inquisition? 8. Are Christian militants really religious? C. Judaism 1. Does Judaism sanction warfare? 2. What is the meaning of <"Amalek> "? 3. Why are Jews often targets of violence? 4. Are there Jewish bases for violent acts? D. Buddhism and other East Asian Religions 1. Are Buddhism and other Eastern Religions the nonviolent exceptions? 2. What are Buddhist justifications for violence? 3. Why do Buddhists sanction warfare? 4. Why do Buddhists in Myanmar and Sri Lanka hate Muslims? 5. Are Asian martial arts a kind of religious violence? 6. Is the Shinto religion violent? 7. Is Taoism violent? E. Hinduism and Jainism 1. Why are Hindu epics full of violence? 2. Isn't Hinduism a peaceful religion? 3. Can there be Hindu violence? 4. How did Gandhi explain violence and warfare in Hinduism? 5. Is Jainism violent? F. Sikhs 1. Are Sikhs naturally militant? 2. Why are images of violence so frequent in Sikh history? 3. Is the Sikh separatist moment a terrorist organization? 4. Can Sikhs be pacificists? G. African and Indigenous Religions 1. Are African indigenous religions violent? 2. Are the Lord's Resistance Army and Boko Haram religions? 3. Is Native American religion violent? 4. Does Australian aboriginal religion bless warfare? 5. Are native Polynesian warriors motivated by religion? H. New Religious Movements 1. Are cults violent? 2. Is Scientology dangerous? 3. Did the Hare Krishna movement stockpile weapons? 4. Why did Japan's Aum Shinrikyo unleash nerve gas in the Tokyo subway? 5. Why do groups like Heaven's Gate and Jonestown commit mass suicide? X. How Religion-Related Violence Ends1. Should authorities use violence to crush religious violence? 2. Is negotiation with violent religious movements ever successful? 3. Is religious nonviolence ever effective?

Mark Juergensmeyer is distinguished professor emeritus of sociology and global studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a pioneer in global studies, focusing on religious violence, religious nationalism, and conflict resolution. He has published more than three hundred articles and thirty books, including Why God Needs War and War Needs God (Oxford 2025) and the Oxford Handbook of Religion and Violence (Oxford 2013, co-edited with Margo Kitts and Michael Jerryson). His award-winning Terror in the Mind of God: The Global Rise of Religious Violence is in its 4th edition.

• I . Basic Questions 1. Does religion cause violence? 2. Why are religion and violence often linked? 3. What kind of religion is associated with violence? 4. What kind of violence is associated with religion? 5. Hasn't religion been violent throughout history? 6. Are some religions more violent than others? 7. Do religious teachings goad people into violence? 8. Is organized religion the problem? II. Religious Terrorism 1. What is religious terrorism? 2. Does any religion sanction terrorism? 3. Was ISIS (the Islamic State) a religious movement? 4. Are Hamas and Hezbollah religious movements? 5. Are Christian terrorists motivated by religion? III. Religion and War 1. Why do clergy bless armies? 2. Is war in every religious tradition? 3. Is God always on one side? 4. Does God ever fight? 5. Do images of war make religions more militant? 6. What are holy wars? 7. What are apocalyptic wars? 8. What are cosmic wars? IV. Symbolic Violence 1. Why are religious symbols frequently bloody? 2. Do religious scriptures justify war? 3. Is violent death glorified in religion? 4. Why do some religious persons pierce and flagellate the body? 5. Do scriptural images of violence lead to real violence? V. Martyrdom and Sacrifice 1. Is sacrifice central to all religions? 2. Has any religion sanctioned human sacrifice? 3. What kind of animals are killed in animal sacrifice? 4. Is self-sacrifice allowed in all religions? 5. Is martyrdom the result of self-sacrifice? VI. Religious Discrimination 1. Does discrimination lead to violence? 2. Why are people outside one's religion regarded as less than human? 3. Are heretics in one's own religion hated more than people in other religions? VII. Human rights and violence 1. Is slavery permitted in religious scriptures? 2. Are women second-class citizens in religious cultures? 3. Are gay and trans people persecuted by religion? VIII. State Violence and Religion1. Does religion give legitimacy to the violence of a state? 2. Is religious nationalism always violent? 3. Are nations with an official religion more violent? IX. Questions for specific traditions A. Islam 1. Is Islam more violent than other religions? 2. Was Muhammad a prophet, a warrior, or both? 3. Did Islam spread through the sword? 4. What does <"jihad> " mean? 5. Do Sunnis and Shi'a hate each other? B. Christianity 1. Does Christianity have a history of violence? 2. Did Jesus advocate <"a sword> " or <"turning the other cheek> "? 3. Why is an execution device the symbol of Christianity? 4. Does the Book of Revelation foresee a great war? 5.Were the early Christians pacifists? 6. What is the Christian doctrine of <"Just War> "? 7. What about the Crusades and the Inquisition? 8. Are Christian militants really religious? C. Judaism 1. Does Judaism sanction warfare? 2. What is the meaning of <"Amalek> "? 3. Why are Jews often targets of violence? 4. Are there Jewish bases for violent acts? D. Buddhism and other East Asian Religions 1. Are Buddhism and other Eastern Religions the nonviolent exceptions? 2. What are Buddhist justifications for violence? 3. Why do Buddhists sanction warfare? 4. Why do Buddhists in Myanmar and Sri Lanka hate Muslims? 5. Are Asian martial arts a kind of religious violence? 6. Is the Shinto religion violent? 7. Is Taoism violent? E. Hinduism and Jainism 1. Why are Hindu epics full of violence? 2. Isn't Hinduism a peaceful religion? 3. Can there be Hindu violence? 4. How did Gandhi explain violence and warfare in Hinduism? 5. Is Jainism violent? F. Sikhs 1. Are Sikhs naturally militant? 2. Why are images of violence so frequent in Sikh history? 3. Is the Sikh separatist moment a terrorist organization? 4. Can Sikhs be pacificists? G. African and Indigenous Religions 1. Are African indigenous religions violent? 2. Are the Lord's Resistance Army and Boko Haram religions? 3. Is Native American religion violent? 4. Does Australian aboriginal religion bless warfare? 5. Are native Polynesian warriors motivated by religion? H. New Religious Movements 1. Are cults violent? 2. Is Scientology dangerous? 3. Did the Hare Krishna movement stockpile weapons? 4. Why did Japan's Aum Shinrikyo unleash nerve gas in the Tokyo subway? 5. Why do groups like Heaven's Gate and Jonestown commit mass suicide? X. How Religion-Related Violence Ends1. Should authorities use violence to crush religious violence? 2. Is negotiation with violent religious movements ever successful? 3. Is religious nonviolence ever effective?

Mark Juergensmeyer is distinguished professor emeritus of sociology and global studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a pioneer in global studies, focusing on religious violence, religious nationalism, and conflict resolution. He has published more than three hundred articles and thirty books, including Why God Needs War and War Needs God (Oxford 2025) and the Oxford Handbook of Religion and Violence (Oxford 2013, co-edited with Margo Kitts and Michael Jerryson). His award-winning Terror in the Mind of God: The Global Rise of Religious Violence is in its 4th edition.

• I . Basic Questions 1. Does religion cause violence? 2. Why are religion and violence often linked? 3. What kind of religion is associated with violence? 4. What kind of violence is associated with religion? 5. Hasn't religion been violent throughout history? 6. Are some religions more violent than others? 7. Do religious teachings goad people into violence? 8. Is organized religion the problem? II. Religious Terrorism 1. What is religious terrorism? 2. Does any religion sanction terrorism? 3. Was ISIS (the Islamic State) a religious movement? 4. Are Hamas and Hezbollah religious movements? 5. Are Christian terrorists motivated by religion? III. Religion and War 1. Why do clergy bless armies? 2. Is war in every religious tradition? 3. Is God always on one side? 4. Does God ever fight? 5. Do images of war make religions more militant? 6. What are holy wars? 7. What are apocalyptic wars? 8. What are cosmic wars? IV. Symbolic Violence 1. Why are religious symbols frequently bloody? 2. Do religious scriptures justify war? 3. Is violent death glorified in religion? 4. Why do some religious persons pierce and flagellate the body? 5. Do scriptural images of violence lead to real violence? V. Martyrdom and Sacrifice 1. Is sacrifice central to all religions? 2. Has any religion sanctioned human sacrifice? 3. What kind of animals are killed in animal sacrifice? 4. Is self-sacrifice allowed in all religions? 5. Is martyrdom the result of self-sacrifice? VI. Religious Discrimination 1. Does discrimination lead to violence? 2. Why are people outside one's religion regarded as less than human? 3. Are heretics in one's own religion hated more than people in other religions? VII. Human rights and violence 1. Is slavery permitted in religious scriptures? 2. Are women second-class citizens in religious cultures? 3. Are gay and trans people persecuted by religion? VIII. State Violence and Religion1. Does religion give legitimacy to the violence of a state? 2. Is religious nationalism always violent? 3. Are nations with an official religion more violent? IX. Questions for specific traditions A. Islam 1. Is Islam more violent than other religions? 2. Was Muhammad a prophet, a warrior, or both? 3. Did Islam spread through the sword? 4. What does <"jihad> " mean? 5. Do Sunnis and Shi'a hate each other? B. Christianity 1. Does Christianity have a history of violence? 2. Did Jesus advocate <"a sword> " or <"turning the other cheek> "? 3. Why is an execution device the symbol of Christianity? 4. Does the Book of Revelation foresee a great war? 5.Were the early Christians pacifists? 6. What is the Christian doctrine of <"Just War> "? 7. What about the Crusades and the Inquisition? 8. Are Christian militants really religious? C. Judaism 1. Does Judaism sanction warfare? 2. What is the meaning of <"Amalek> "? 3. Why are Jews often targets of violence? 4. Are there Jewish bases for violent acts? D. Buddhism and other East Asian Religions 1. Are Buddhism and other Eastern Religions the nonviolent exceptions? 2. What are Buddhist justifications for violence? 3. Why do Buddhists sanction warfare? 4. Why do Buddhists in Myanmar and Sri Lanka hate Muslims? 5. Are Asian martial arts a kind of religious violence? 6. Is the Shinto religion violent? 7. Is Taoism violent? E. Hinduism and Jainism 1. Why are Hindu epics full of violence? 2. Isn't Hinduism a peaceful religion? 3. Can there be Hindu violence? 4. How did Gandhi explain violence and warfare in Hinduism? 5. Is Jainism violent? F. Sikhs 1. Are Sikhs naturally militant? 2. Why are images of violence so frequent in Sikh history? 3. Is the Sikh separatist moment a terrorist organization? 4. Can Sikhs be pacificists? G. African and Indigenous Religions 1. Are African indigenous religions violent? 2. Are the Lord's Resistance Army and Boko Haram religions? 3. Is Native American religion violent? 4. Does Australian aboriginal religion bless warfare? 5. Are native Polynesian warriors motivated by religion? H. New Religious Movements 1. Are cults violent? 2. Is Scientology dangerous? 3. Did the Hare Krishna movement stockpile weapons? 4. Why did Japan's Aum Shinrikyo unleash nerve gas in the Tokyo subway? 5. Why do groups like Heaven's Gate and Jonestown commit mass suicide? X. How Religion-Related Violence Ends1. Should authorities use violence to crush religious violence? 2. Is negotiation with violent religious movements ever successful? 3. Is religious nonviolence ever effective?