Comparing The Meaning of War in Christian West, Islam

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University Park, Pa. --- Penn State Press has published a new book, comparing the cultural traditions of the Christian West and Islam on the meaning of war for religion. In "The Holy War Idea in Western and Islamic Traditions," author James Turner Johnson explores the cultural traditions of the Christian West and Islam, in an effort to encourage a constructive dialogue on the nature of war for religion.

No other issue highlights the difference between these two cultures more clearly or with more relevance for their interrelations throughout history and in the contemporary world. .

In the West, war for religion is most often dismissed as a relic of the past. By contrast, war for religion has an honored place in the Islamic world, associated with a perennial religious requirement: striving in the path of faith by heart, tongue, and hands, designated by the now familiar term "jihad." .

According to Johnson, we must understand that in the West, religion and politics are placed in separate spheres, while normative Islam regards religion as properly integral to the political order. From this perspective religious concerns should have a place in statecraft, including the use of military force. .

Three questions form the heart of Johnson's inquiry: Is there a legitimate justification of war for religion? What authority is required? What is the proper conduct in such wars? In each case, he asks the question by comparing religious wars with other kinds of wars. The picture that emerges is of war for religion not as an expression of fanatical excess but as a controlled, purposeful activity. .

With an eye to the present day, Johnson examines cases in history where distinctive models of war for religion were implemented by rulers. This in turn sets the stage for critical judgment on contemporary appeals to the idea of "jihad" in relation to political aims. .

Well-known for his work on peace and just war, Johnson draws upon a wide base of historical and comparative scholarship. While the book is anchored primarily on the historical development of the two traditions, he aims throughout to shed light on contemporary attitudes, ideals, and behaviors, especially as they bear on real problems that affect relations between Western and Islamic cultures in the world today. .

James Turner Johnson is professor of religion and a member of the graduate program in political science at Rutgers University. He is the author of many books, including "Can Modern War Be Just?." .

Established in 1956, Penn State Press is a university press specializing in art history, black studies, general interest, history, literary studies, philosophy, political science, religion, regional studies, sociology, and women's studies. .

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Contact: Vicki Fong 814-865-9481 (O) 814-238-1221 (H) vyf1@psu.edu.

The Penn State Press Home Page is at http://www.psu.edu/psupress/.