By: Research On Religion | Ron Hassner on Sacred Spaces & Holy Conflict

Research On Religion | Ron Hassner on Sacred Spaces & Holy Conflict — Sun, 29 Sep 2013 08:02:22 +0000

[…] Monica Toft on Religion, Terrorism, and Civil War. […]

By: Research On Religion | Allen Hertzke on Religious Liberty

Research On Religion | Allen Hertzke on Religious Liberty — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 09:05:02 +0000

[…] Monica Toft on Religion, Terrorism, and Civil War. […]

By: Jonathan Fox

Jonathan Fox — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 15:58:30 +0000

I liked the podcast and the God’s Century book. I highly recommend the book. It is an excellent piece of research and I pretty much agree with most of it but I have some reservations about the use of political theology both in the book and the podcast. Political theology certainly exists and the definition is as good as any but I wonder whether the use of it in God’s Century is fully accurate. I agree that people’s beliefs influence their actions but I question whether political theology is as influential as it is made out to be by Monica Toft and her co-authors. I believe that in some cases shifts in political theology come after changes in behavior rather than before them. That is, behavior can change and the political theology shifts in order to justify the actions that are already being taken due to other motivations. This is not an all or nothing proposition. In some cases the description in God’s Century (and the podcast) is likely accurate but it is presented in the book and podcast as a unidirectional relationship when the reality is likely much more complex.

Comments on: Monica Toft on Religion, Terrorism, and Civil War

By: Research On Religion | Ron Hassner on Sacred Spaces & Holy Conflict

By: Research On Religion | Allen Hertzke on Religious Liberty

By: Jonathan Fox