Description

For the past two decades, the study of »religious violence« has been on the rise. Whilst some scholars argue that violence is innate to (monotheistic) religion or community building, others claim that violence »in the name of God« is a reaction to secularization, a form of political violence or a myth that legitimates repression by secular states. Battles over Belief. Catholics and Violence in the 19th Century offers a much-needed historical perspective on this social science literature as it provides the first comprehensive overview of the changing interplay of faith and violence during the period spanning the French Revolution and First World War. Chapters probe violent acts linked to inner-Catholic, Catholic-secular and interreligious conflict, but also demonstrate the importance of rhetoric and symbolics for nurturing and framing violence across the nineteenth century world. Of special interest is the role of agency. Thus, the book reveals the motives for violence but also its legitimation and interpretation. It furthermore shows the intricate ways in which differences over religion collided with secular differences. By demonstrating that religion remained a powerful trigger for violence beyond the French Revolution, Battles over Belief shows that the relationship between religion and violence, both in the nineteenth century and more generally, is more complex than scholars have suggested.