Top
Skip to Content
LOGO(small) - Queen's University Belfast
  • Our x-twitter
LOGO(large) - Queen's University Belfast

The Senator George J. Mitchell Institute
For Global Peace, Security And Justice

  • Home
  • About us
  • Research and Impact
    • Research Areas
    • Research Impact
    • Publications
    • Digital Events & Public Engagement
    • Blogs
    • GFA25
  • Podcasts
    • Taliban Turbans and The Smartphone
    • Mitchell Institute Conversations Podcast
    • The Partition of Ireland: Causes and Consequences
    • Postgraduate MPod Podcast
  • People
    • Academic Staff
    • GRI Fellows
    • Research-Funded Posts
    • Visiting Scholars
    • Professors Emeriti
    • Honorary Professors
    • Honorary Professors of Practice
    • International Advisory Board
  • Study
    • LINAS Doctoral Training Programme
    • LINCS Doctoral Training Programme
    • MA Conflict Transformation and Social Justice
    • Previous Scholarships
  • News
  • Events
  • Annual Reviews
  • Policies
  • Contact us
  • Home
  • About us
  • Research and Impact
    • Research Areas
    • Research Impact
    • Publications
    • Digital Events & Public Engagement
    • Blogs
    • GFA25
  • Podcasts
    • Taliban Turbans and The Smartphone
    • Mitchell Institute Conversations Podcast
    • The Partition of Ireland: Causes and Consequences
    • Postgraduate MPod Podcast
  • People
    • Academic Staff
    • GRI Fellows
    • Research-Funded Posts
    • Visiting Scholars
    • Professors Emeriti
    • Honorary Professors
    • Honorary Professors of Practice
    • International Advisory Board
  • Study
    • LINAS Doctoral Training Programme
    • LINCS Doctoral Training Programme
    • MA Conflict Transformation and Social Justice
    • Previous Scholarships
  • News
  • Events
  • Annual Reviews
  • Policies
  • Contact us
  • Our x-twitter
In This Section
  • Home
  • About us
  • Research and Impact
  • Podcasts
  • People
  • Study
  • News
  • Events
  • Annual Reviews
  • Policies
  • Contact us

  • Home
  • Conflict Resolution Blog

Conflict Resolution Blog

Religious Fundamentalism-Extremism-Violence

9 March, 2018

To navigate these difficult conceptual waters rules are needed. Here are three suggestions (the violence can be direct--as sometimes prescribed by the Abrahamic religions--or structural as by Hinduism):

Students coming out of the Lanyon building

[1] Anchor "religious fundamentalism" in religious texts taken literally, according to the fundamentalists; not as "interpreted";

[2] Anchor "extremism" in violent action, verbal or physical;

[3] Anchor "religious extremism" in violent action justified-legitimized by religious texts, by fundamentalists or not.

Fundamentalism has to do with inner faith-belief. Extremism has to do with outer violence against Other and against Self (like flagellation for being a sinner). Keep them separate. And be careful.

We can have fundamentalism without extremism. The fundamentalist may believe much beyond the beliefs of others yet not cross the border to violence. We might say: let him-her do so; it is far from obvious that fundamentalists are more violent than non-fundamentalists.

We can have extremism without fundamentalism. Most people exercising violence believe in nothing beyond "doing their job".

There are two criteria for "religious extremism": violence and religious legitimation. That legitimation may be fundamentalist or not; could be just well-know quotes from the Scriptures. We might even speculate that for the fundamentalist faith may be sufficient.

The combination in "religious extremism" is vicious if it implies that violence will be supported by divine forces and-or that failure to be violent will incur their wrath. Probably a declining category.

Today's secularizing, "enlightened" world brought us statism, nationalism, and their combination; secular fundamentalists and extremists, and their combination. They have given the world more violence for victory for whatever cause they design than religions. But with a rationality that may open for solving underlying conflicts.

 

Johan Galtung
Share
Latest News
  • Peace Journalism and Reconciliation in Post-Conflict Societies
    9 March, 2018
  • Religious Fundamentalism-Extremism-Violence
    9 March, 2018
  • Half truths, non-truth and Northern Ireland
    9 March, 2018
  • Reconciliation: An Alternative Language of Peace
    9 March, 2018
  • Hope for “a More Human Face” in Our Post-Conflict Countries
    9 March, 2018
The Senator George J. Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice
  • The Senator George J. Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice
  • Home
  • About us
  • Research and Impact
  • Podcasts
  • People
  • Study
  • News
  • Events
  • Annual Reviews
  • Policies
  • Contact us
QUB Logo
Contact Us

The Senator George J. Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice 

Queen's University Belfast
18-19 University Square
Belfast
United Kingdom
BT7 1NN

T: +44 (0) 28 9097 3609 / 1346 
E: mitchell.institute@qub.ac.uk

Quick Links

  • Home
  • Study
  • Research
  • Podcasts
  • Newsletter

Social Media

© Queen's University Belfast 2024
  • Privacy and cookies
  • Website accessibility
  • Freedom of information
  • Modern slavery statement
  • Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
  • University Policies and Procedures
Information
  • Privacy and cookies
  • Website accessibility
  • Freedom of information
  • Modern slavery statement
  • Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
  • University Policies and Procedures

© Queen's University Belfast 2024

Manage cookies