This week's readings and discussion challenged the way we think about religion and its relationship to peace and justice. Too often, religion is portrayed as a source of conflict, but the truth is far more complex-and hopeful.
Patrick Mason's article, Violent and Nonviolent Religious Militancy, asks us to rethink what "militancy" means. We usually associate the term with extremism and violence, but Mason argues that militancy is simply deep commitment to a cause. That commitment can be expressed through peace as powerfully as through war. The civil rights movement is a prime example: Martin Luther King Jr. was militant in his beliefs, but his weapon was nonviolence. Mason reminds us that ignoring these peaceful forms of militancy distorts the picture of religion's role in society.
Mason also introduces the concept of justpeace-peace that includes justice. It's not enough to stop violence; true peace requires fairness, dignity, and equality. This idea resonates with other readings, like Maria Pilar Aquino's chapter on religious peacebuilding, which emphasises that faith communities must confront harmful traditions and actively work towards reconciliation and justice. Ira Cherus' chapter on nonviolence in American history shows how religious convictions fueled movements like abolition, suffrage, and civil rights, proving that faith can be a force for liberation rather than oppression.
In class, we explored principles of nonviolence through figures like Gandhi, King, and the Dalai Lama, as well as traditions like Buddhism, Quakerism, and Anabaptism. These movements share a belief that peace begins within-through spiritual growth-and extends outward to transform society. King's distinction between negative peace (the absence of tension) and positive peace (the presence of justice) captures this perfectly. Nonviolence isn't passive; it's active resistance to injustice without resorting to harm.
What struck me most this week is how often we overlook the courage it takes to be nonviolent. It's easy to see violence as strength, but history shows that nonviolence requires ever greater resolve. Religious militancy, in Mason's sense, can be a radical commitment to peace-a willingness to suffer without striking back, to love in the face of hate.
If we want a world of justpeace, religious communities must lead the way by challenging violence within their own traditions and embodying the principles they preach. Religion can be a source of division, yes-but it can also be the heartbeat of movements that change the world without firing a shot.
Sources:
Aquino, M. P. (2011). Religious peacebuilding. In A. R. Murphy (Ed.), The Blackwell companion to religion and violence (pp. 568–593). Wiley-Blackwell.Chernus, I. (2011). Religion and nonviolence in American history. In A. R. Murphy (Ed.), The Blackwell companion to religion and violence (pp. 538–567). Wiley-Blackwell.
Mason, P. Q. (2015). Violent and nonviolent religious militancy. In R. A. Scott & S. M. Kosslyn (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of religion, conflict, and peacebuilding (pp. 212–235). Oxford University Press.
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