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

Recent years have seen a meteoric rise in the power and importance of organized religion in many parts of the world. Although violence is often perpetrated in the name of religion, history shows that religious people have played a critical role in peacemaking within numerous cultures. In the next century, will religion provide human civilization with methods of care, healing, and the creation of peaceful societies?

In this groundbreaking book, Marc Gopin attempts to integrate 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. This innovative and carefully argued study also offers a broad set of recommendations for policy planners both inside and outside of government.