Do Religious Authority Figures like Jesus make a Difference in Conflict Settings?

New chapter published on alternative religious communities and their beliefs and practices in the Levant

I had the honor of collaborating on a book chapter this year in a new academic volume entitled Religious Authorities and Practices of Conflict Resolution that has just released (edited by Carla Bagnoli and Vincenzo Pacillo - University of Modena and Reggio Emilia). We explore whether religious figures like Jesus actually make a difference in conflict settings. Does it matter what one believes when war breaks out, as it pertains to the community’s practices of conflict resolution and peace? It was a privilege to write this with colleague prof. dr. Rik Peels who is the director of the Extreme Beliefs Research group at the Vrije Universteit in Amsterdam, and who was my doctoral supervisor. You can read more here and there’s a summary below.

This chapter contributes to the debate on the relation between religion and processes of (de)radicalization by way of a case study: the deradicalization of various former Islamist extremists in the broader Levant and their incorporation into new faith communities. While much has been written on the story of Lebanon, focusing on the diverse religious mix and civil war in the Middle East, we highlight the contributions of a small minority community of Evangelical Christians in the Levant, particularly in Northern Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria. It zooms in on how these Christians have contributed to peace-building in times of war. In this tense interfaith environment, religious conflict spilled over, and local sectarian conflicts were exacerbated through refugee migration. Evangelical communities were active in humanitarian aid, non-formal education programs, and medical care, serving a wide spectrum of religious and ethnic interlocutors, including (former) violent extremists. Based on data from fieldwork, we discuss the theological and religious assets this small community drew upon, as well as the religious authority of the person of Jesus and his teaching. The pragmatic application of the principles of nonviolence, love of the enemy, and a common mission for human flourishing enabled them to address challenges to communal stability. We argue that diverse interpersonal relationships on a micro-level can mediate broader macro-conflicts and offer a model of peace through embodied teachings in alternative communities. Along the way, we shall see that exclusive group belonging and even extremist postures toward out-groups may not be inherently or solely religious but also have sociological, psychological, and historical roots.