The ever prolific American historian Philip Jenkins recently published yet another book, The Jesus Wars, which deals with the issue of “religious violence.” In a guest contribution to the Washington Post‘s On Faith blog, he argues that a historical exploration of the violence in Christendom during the fifth through seventh centuries C.E. can help us understand religion-based violence in our day and age. “This history,” he stresses, “must cast into question any charge that violence is especially built into the DNA of Islam, or indeed of any faith.” Violence does not result from the scriptures of a particular faith, but from its social context. When secular ideas such as honor attach themselves to religion, violence can arise. Religion in and of itself does not promote or cause violence.
When Anglican Archbishop Rowan Williams meets with clergy furious over his church’s sexual liberalism, he might expect to encounter insults and unpleasantness. He does not worry too much about being assassinated in the gathering, of being battered to death by priests and monks. Yet that kind of violence was a real danger in the early church, when leaders gathered regularly to decide exactly what they believed about the relationship between Christ’s human and divine Natures. Violence and persecution spiraled out of control, until in 449, a mob of monks assaulted and killed the patriarch of Constantinople in the middle of a great ecclesiastical council being held at Ephesus. Exploring the sources of that mayhem also helps us understand the roots of religious-based violence today.
Read Jenkins’ post here. Harper Collins offers a glimpse at The Jesus Wars here.