Peacemaking and the Challenge of Violence in World Religions

Irfan A. Omar is Associate Professor of Islam and World Religions at Marquette University, USA. He teaches courses on Islam, interfaith dialogue, and World Religions and his research interests include Christian-Muslim and Hindu-Muslim dialogue. He is the editor or co-editor of several books, including The Judeo-Christian-Islamic Heritage: Philosophical and Theological Perspectives (2012) and A Christian View of Islam: Essays on Dialogue (2010). In 2006, he was a Fulbright Senior Scholar at Muhammadiyah University Malang in Indonesia. He currently serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Ecumenical Studies and the Journal of Race, Ethnicity, and Religion. He is also a member of the steering committee of the Ethics Section of the American Academy of Religion.Michael K. Duffey is Associate Professor of Theology at Marquette University, USA. He is also Director of the Interdisciplinary Major in Peace Studies and founder of the Marquette Center for Peacemaking. He holds degrees in government and in religious studies and his research interests include post-conflict healing, interreligious peacemaking, and the history of nonviolence. He has been published widely in scholarly journals and is the author of three books: Sowing Justice, Reaping Peace: Case Studies of Racial, Religious, and Ethnic Healing Around the World (2001), Peacemaking Christians: The Future of Just War, Pacifism, and Nonviolence (1995), and Be Blessed in What You Do (1988).

‘Peacemaking’s approach makes it ideal for peace activists, people working on interreligious dialogue, undergraduates studying comparative religion, and even laypeople. It is both a realistic book and a very hopeful book… Omar and Duffey have taken a commendable first step in putting the possibility of peace front and center.’ (Jason Wyman, Fellowship, Vol. 81 No. 1-6).

• Acknowledgments xi Introduction 1Irfan A. Omar and Michael K. Duffey1 Jihad and Nonviolence in the Islamic Tradition 9Irfan A. OmarOverview of the Islamic tradition 10Ways of Understanding Violence and Nonviolence 13Jihad in the Qur’an 15Peacemaking and the challenge of violence 21Nonviolent Activism: Key Muslim Figures 26Conclusion 33Questions for Discussion 35Notes 35References 36Further Reading 38Muslim Peacemaking and Civil Rights Organizations/Resources 39Glossary 401.1 A Confucian Response 41Sin Yee Chan1.2 A Jewish Response 44Joshua Ezra Burns2 Christianity: From Peacemaking to Violence and Home Again 47Michael K. DuffeyWho was Jesus? 49Jesus, Nonviolence, and Peacemaking 50A Brief History of Christian Nonviolence and Violence 55Christian conscience 63Peace through Nonviolence 65Conclusion 69Questions for discussion 70Notes 70References 72Further Reading 732.1 A Buddhist Response 75Eleanor Rosch2.2 A Muslim Response 80Irfan A. Omar3 Jewish Ideologies of Peace and Peacemaking 83Joshua Ezra BurnsWhat is Judaism? 84Jewish Terms for Peace and Peacemaking 87War and Peace in the Hebrew Scriptures 90Pacifism in the Rabbinic Tradition 92The State of Israel 95Pursuing Peace 98Conclusions and Future Prospects 101Questions for Discussion 102References 102Further Reading 104Glossary 1053.1 A Christian Response 107Michael K. Duffey3.2 A Native American Response 109Tink Tinker4 From Sincerity of Thought to Peace “All Under Heaven” (Tianxia �V‰º): The Confucian Stance on Peace and Violence 112Sin Yee ChanIntroduction to Confucianism 113Meanings of peace 117Peace on the ground 120Violence and war 122Conclusion 129Questions for discussion 130Notes 131References 132Further reading 133Glossary 1344.1 A Buddhist Response 135Eleanor Rosch4.2 A Jewish Response 139Joshua Ezra Burns5 “Peace is the Strongest Force in the World”: Buddhist Paths to Peacemaking and Nonviolence 142Eleanor RoschOverview of Buddhism 143Historical Development of the Meanings of Peace, Nonviolence, and War 149Moral Teachings Regarding Violence and Nonviolence 152History of Buddhism’s Responses to Violence 154Emerging Innovative Peacemaking Practices 158Conclusions: What in Buddhism Provides the Means for Nonviolent Peacemaking? 161Questions for Discussion 164Notes 165References 166Further Reading 167Buddhist Peacemaking Organizations and Resources 169Glossary 1705.1 A Hindu Response 173Kalpana Mohanty5.2 A Native American Response 175Tink Tinker6 Peacemaking and Nonviolence in the Hindu Tradition 178Kalpana MohantyIntroduction to the Hindu tradition 179Peace, war, and nonviolence 180Hinduism’s Response to Violence 182Traditional Methods of Conflict Resolution 184Mohandas K. Gandhi and the Satyagraha Movement 185Practices and Disciplines that Contribute to Peacemaking 188Hindu Peace Groups and Organizations 189Innovative and Emerging Peacemaking Practices 190Hindu Saints and Seminal Thinkers 192Conclusion 195Questions for Discussion 196Notes 196References 196Further Reading 197Hindu Peace Organizations 198Glossary 1986.1 A Christian Response 200Michael K. Duffey6.2 A Muslim Response 202Irfan A. Omar7 The Irrelevance of euro]christian Dichotomies for Indigenous Peoples: Beyond Nonviolence to a Vision of Cosmic Balance 206Tink TinkerReligion 207Balance as Reciprocal Dualism 210Warfare 210Nonviolence as Incompatible 215World Incommensurability: the Dissimilitude of Otherness 216Relationship = Less Extraneous Violence 219Questions for discussion 220Notes 221References 223Further reading 2247.1 A Confucian Response 226Sin Yee Chan7.2 A Hindu Response 230Kalpana MohantyConclusion 232Irfan A. Omar and Michael K. DuffeyIndex 236