College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

• Fighting words
  

  Hector Avalos' book outlines new theory for the role of religion in violence.

  
  Conflict between individuals, families, companies and even nations can be laid at the door of scarce resources.
  
  This could be the fights that develop outside a store that's offering the hottest, but very limited, new toy for Christmas. Or parents with five or six children who don't have enough to go around to all their offspring. Shortages of flu vaccines, gasoline and food can lead to fist fights, even global war.
  
  In his new book, Fighting Words: The Origins of Religious Violence, Hector Avalos, associate professor of philosophy and religious studies, says that scarce resources are also behind religious conflicts.
  
  "In almost every conflict in the world there is at least a perceived scarcity of some resource," Avalos said. "Power, love, material goods - these are all items that someone holds precious.
  
  "Behind every conflict is someone who perceives that they aren't getting their fair share. This can even be the case for religious conflicts."
  
  In Fighting Words Avalos looks at the role religion has historically played and continues to play in violence in the three main Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam).
  
  "Most religious violence is the result of real or perceived scarce resources," he said. "When people believe that there is not enough of something valued, 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 beliefs - 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.
  
  The "scarce resource" of inscripturation can look at religions who say that God communicates to us in only one text (the Koran or Bible for example) and access to God is available only through the one text the religion believes in.
  
  Jerusalem is a historically important city for all three religions and conflicts have consistently erupted there, Avalos says, because the religions are fighting for sacred space. A major focus of Bin Laden's conflict with the West is U.S. use of sacred space in Saudi Arabia.
  
  The Holocaust is a prime example of group privilege, Avalos says, while salvation may refer to transcendent benefits bestowed on individuals by religions. Examples of this are Muslim suicide bombers who believe they will become martyrs or Christians who insist Jews cannot ascend to heaven because they don't believe in Jesus Christ.
  
  "I also argue against the common concept that religion is essentially peaceful but that violence is part of ‘deviant' forms of religion," Avalos said. "The book critiques academics who strive to maintain the value of sacred texts despite the endorsement or acceptance of violence in those texts.
  
  "All four of these religious scarcities can function as a greater source of conflict than oil or power."
  
  Religion can create peace if individuals become aware of how religious belief can create scarcities. Avalos does admit that religion isn't the only cause of violence in the world.
  
  "The awareness of the scarcities in religion is important to understand," Avalos said. "Religions should look into themselves and ask ‘why can't others share this same space as I do?' or 'what is it about our belief systems that we can't accept others' beliefs?'"
  
  Since the publication of Fighting Words this summer, Avalos has appeared on National Public Radio and delivered a lecture on the subject at Creighton University. Despite its recent publication, the book is already required reading in a "Holy War" course at the University of Florida.
  
  "My role as an educator is to try to help solve larger problems," Avalos said. "I hope to help people understand violence and how religion can cause conflicts that lead to violence."

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