The Role of Religion in Conflict and Peacebuilding

The role of religion in conflict and peacebuilding has all too often been depicted in binary terms: it is seen as a source of either violence or reconciliation. This simplification obscures the complexity of the subject and shows that there is no common understanding of the central terms of the debate. Religion is never a static or isolated entity bur should rather be understood as a fluid system of variables, contingent upon a large number of contextual and historical factors. By observing how religion operates and interacts with other aspects of the human experience at the global, institutional, group and individual levels, this project aims to gain a more nuanced understanding of its role (or potential role) in both conflict and peacebuilding.