Nonviolence in the World’s Religions: A Concise Introduction

The twenty-first century began with the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Much has been written and debated on the relationship between faith and violence, with acts of terror at the forefront. However, the twentieth century also gave rise to many successful nonviolent protest movements.

Nonviolence in the World’s Religions introduces the reader to the complex relationship between religion and nonviolence. Each of the essays delves into the contemporary and historical expressions of the world’s major religious traditions in relation to nonviolence. Contributors explore the literary and theological foundations of a tradition’s justification of nonviolence; the ways that nonviolence has come to expression in its beliefs, symbols, rituals, and other practices; and the evidence of nonviolence in its historic and present responses to conflict and warfare. The meanings of both religion and nonviolence are explored through engagement with nonviolence in Hindu, Buddhist, Chinese, Sikh, Jewish, Christian, Islamic, Jain, and Pacific Island religious traditions.

This is the ideal introduction to the relationship between religion and violence for undergraduate students, as well as for those in related fields, such as religious studies, peace and conflict studies, area studies, sociology, political science, and history.

Jeffery D. Long is the Carl W. Zeigler Professor of Religious Studies at Elizabethtown College, USA. He is the author of A Vision for Hinduism, Jainism: An Introduction, The Historical Dictionary of Hinduism, Hinduism in America: A Convergence of Worlds, and the forthcoming Indian Philosophy: An Introduction. Long is also the editor of the Lexington Books series Explorations in Indic Traditions: Ethical, Philosophical, and Theological.

Michael G. Long is the author and editor of more than a dozen books on nonviolence, civil rights, politics, and religion, including We the Resistance: Documenting Our History of Nonviolent Protest and Christian Peace and Nonviolence.