Between Eden and Armageddon: The Future of World Religions, Violence, and Peacemaking

by Marc Gopin

Recent years have seen a meteoric rise in the power and importance of organized religion in many parts of the world. At the same time, there has been a significant increase in violence perpetrated in the name of religion. While much has been written on the relationship between violence and religious militancy, history shows that religious people have also played a critical role in peacemaking within numerous cultures. In the new century, will religion bring upon further catastrophes? Or will it provide human civilization with methods of care, healing, and the creation of peaceful and just societies?
In this groundbreaking book, Marc Gopin integrates the study of religion with the study of conflict resolution. He argues that religion can play a critical role in constructing a global community of shared moral commitments and vision--a community that can limit conflict to its nonviolent, constructive variety. If we examine religious myths and moral traditions, Gopin argues, we can understand why and when religious people come to violence, and why and when they become staunch peacemakers. He shows that it is the conservative expression of most religious traditions that presents the largest challenge in terms of peace and conflict. Gopin considers ways to construct traditional paradigms that are committed to peacemaking on a deep level and offers such a paradigm for the case of Judaism. Throughout, Gopin emphasizes that developing the potential of the world's religions for coping with conflict demands a conscious process on the part of peacemakers and theologians. His innovative and
carefully argued study also offers a broad set of recommendations for policy planners both inside and outside of government.

320 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2000

Reviews

[Jenna Dewey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was incredible helpful for me to know how/where to place religion within conflict. I appreciated the practical approaches for dealing with religion and the way it mapped out the influences of religion both destructively and constructively. There were several principles that really resounded with me, the first and foremost being the idea of ger. That was huge for me and has changed how I view not only my own religion and others, but my own practice of religion. It is a litmus test of religions, but also of persons. As a Mormon, I have been struggling to identify ways that as a Church, we can be more open to the other in two senses: the other as an outsider but also a member of the shared community: be it in the city, country, or world. The second is the other as one within the religion, but who maintains different beliefs than I even within the religion. Be it liberals, conservatives, gays, etc. I appreciated the explanations regarding religions seeking to reinforce their boundaries or those who are integrating. However, I think the greatest value I retained from reading this book was Gopin's sense of openness and ability to illustrate his own struggle in grappling with ambiguity and identifying his religion’s contribution to conflict. This struck me and the principles he taught in Eden highlighted the values of honest inquiry, the humility required to seek and adopt truth wherever it is found, and the urgent and unfeigned attribute of empathy and openness to the other.

[Phillip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Academic in style but well worth reading. It deals with the role of religion in conflict and in the resolution of conflict written by someone who knows about these things. See www.marcgopin.com