College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

• August 24, 2005

  Avalos discusses new book on NPR
  

• Hector Avalos, associate professor of religious studies at Iowa State University, was featured on National Public Radio's "Talk of the Nation" program Monday, Aug. 22.

  Avalos discussed his new book, Fighting Words: The Origins of Religious Violence. The book outlines a comprehensive new theory for the role of religion in violence as exemplified in the main Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam).

  "Most religious violence is the result of real or perceived scarce resources," Avalos says. "When people believe that there is not enough of something valued, then they may fight to acquire it or to maintain it. When religion causes violence, it does so because it has created new scarce resources."

  Fighting Words focuses on four scarce resources that can be created by religious belief - Inscripturation (sacred scriptures), Sacred Space, Group Privilege and Salvation. The book shows examples of how each of these can be seen as scarce resources that have precipitated violence in Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

  "I also argue against the common conception that religion is essentially peaceful but that violence is part of 'deviant' forms of religion," Avalos said. "It critiques academics who strive to maintain the value of sacred texts despite the endorsement or acceptance of violence in those texts."

Hector Avalos

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